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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, offered his government's assistance to Venezuela on Thursday following the two major earthquakes that struck the northern part of the country just 39 seconds apart, and instructed all federal agencies to prepare to act swiftly.
"The two major earthquakes that have just struck the great people of Venezuela are massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths. The United States is ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to prepare to move quickly. We will be there for our new and great friends. The initial reports are not good!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.1 and 7.5, had their epicenters near Morón, in the state of Carabobo, and Yumare, in the state of Yaracuy, approximately 170 kilometers west of Caracas.
Both were shallow—at 13 and 10 kilometers deep respectively—which significantly amplified their destructive power on nearby populations.
Preliminary victim numbers range from the 32 deceased confirmed by Venezuelan authorities to international estimates suggesting over 236 deaths, with more than 2,000 injured.
The United States Geological Service issued a maximum Red Alert, estimating a probability between 42% and 44% that the number of fatalities will exceed 10,000 people.
In Caracas, at least two buildings collapsed in the Chacao municipality and more than 90 structures were affected in the Miranda state.
The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, declared a state of constitutional emergency on national television, closed the Maiquetía International Airport due to severe structural damage, and suspended classes, the Caracas Metro, and the Tuy Valley Railway.
Rodríguez publicly responded to Trump's offer via his account on X, expressing gratitude in terms that reflect the new relationship between the two governments.
"We thank the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and his administration, who have been in constant contact with the Venezuelan authorities, offering support and solidarity to the people of Venezuela in the face of this tragedy that has plunged us into mourning," wrote Rodríguez.
This public exchange between Washington and Caracas would have been unthinkable just six months ago.
On January 3, 2026, a Delta Force operation supported by the CIA captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores at the Venezuelan presidential complex and transferred them to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Rodríguez took office as acting president on January 5, 2026, and has since adopted a pragmatic stance toward Washington.
The United States reopened its embassy in Caracas on March 30, 2026 and both countries signed an agreement that allows Washington to trade 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil as part of a three-phase normalization plan.
Trump's reference to Venezuelans as "new and great friends" precisely encapsulates that diplomatic shift.
In addition to the United States, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Qatar, China, Brazil, and several Caribbean countries also offered assistance to Venezuela following the earthquakes, the most destructive recorded in the country in decades.
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