Members of the Cuban medical brigade deployed in the Venezuelan state of La Guaira mobilized following the two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 that struck Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24, providing care to the injured at the Comprehensive Diagnosis Centers (CDI) in the area, according to a report from the Cuban state channel Canal Caribe.
The state of La Guaira, one of the hardest hit by the earthquakes, has been declared a disaster zone. The toll of victims rose this Friday to 235 deceased and more than 4,500 injured, according to Venezuelan Health Minister Carlos Alvarado, while 157 people remain missing and 200 are still trapped under rubble.
The report from Canal Caribe showed Cuban doctors who, while off duty at their homes, responded to the call from the Venezuelan National Guard and went to the CDI. "We were notified, we were at home and quickly came here to provide service to our Venezuelan brothers who were arriving at the CDI with injuries, with contusions, with hypertensive crises, and here for whatever is needed. Always, the Venezuelan people can count on us, the Cuban doctors," declared one of the female doctors before the cameras.
The Cuban ambassador in Venezuela, Jorge Luis Mayo Fernández, and the head of the Medical Brigade, doctor Yusleivy Martínez Carmona, conducted an assessment tour of the affected areas in La Guaira to verify the situation of the personnel and the services provided.
Martínez Carmona explained that, once the safety of all the volunteers was confirmed, it was the doctors themselves who requested to join the assistance efforts. "Once we reached out to the 24 coordinators and confirmed that all our volunteers were in good health, the volunteers themselves began to ask to take part in the healthcare functions," the brigade leader stated.
The doctor also sent a reassuring message to families in Cuba: "We need to convey to all Cuban families with cooperators in Venezuela that they should remain calm; the cooperators in Venezuela are in perfect health, they are providing medical assistance, and they are demonstrating the great commitment that Cuban public health has had for many years to the Venezuelan people."
"They are wonderful. There is nothing more to say about them. They are the best Cuban doctors here," expressed one of the Venezuelan patients treated at the CDI.
The Venezuelan hospital system collapsed due to the surge of injured individuals: the José María Vargas Hospital in La Guaira exceeded its capacity and moved the triage to the parking lot, while eight hospitals were affected throughout the country.
The Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel posted his condolences on X and noted that "Cuban healthcare personnel are actively assisting those affected." The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez expressed her gratitude to Díaz-Canel "for always standing by Venezuela during such difficult times," in a direct response to that post.
According to official data from July 2025, the Cuban Medical Mission in Venezuela had approximately 12,930 collaborators distributed across the 24 states of the country, although it is going through a period of turmoil since the fall of Nicolás Maduro's government in January 2026, when Cuba began a gradual repatriation of personnel.
In March of this year, two Cuban doctors passed away in Venezuela under circumstances that prompted a public outcry from their families.
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