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Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, this Friday to reaffirm Washington's support for the Caribbean country amid the humanitarian crisis triggered by the devastating earthquakes of June 24.
Rodríguez announced the call on her X account with a brief message that carried significant diplomatic weight: "I received a call from President @realDonaldTrump and Secretary of State @marcorubio, who reaffirmed the support of the United States Government during this difficult time for Venezuela."
The communication comes two days after two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, occurring just 39 seconds apart, shook the northern part of the country with their epicenter located about 21 kilometers west of Morón, in the state of Carabobo.
The official updated balance by Rodríguez this Friday is 589 deceased and 2,980 injured, although the president of the Venezuelan Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, raised the figures as of June 25 to 920 dead and 3,360 injured.
The call this Friday is not the first high-level action by the Trump administration in response to the tragedy. On June 25, Rubio had already contacted Rodríguez to express condolences and announce the immediate deployment of rescue teams, making this the second high-level communication in less than 24 hours.
Rubio also announced the dispatch of 150 million dollars in humanitarian aid: 100 million channeled through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and 50 million allocated to organizations on the ground.
The Southern Command mobilized military forces, ships, and planes to support rescue operations, while the Department of the Treasury temporarily lifted sanctions until October 23 to facilitate financial transactions related to relief efforts.
Trump had set the tone from the very beginning. On June 24, he posted on Truth Social that the U.S. was "ready, willing, and able" to help Venezuela, and referred to Venezuelans as his "new and great friends."
The UN estimated that as many as 6.76 million people may have been affected by the earthquakes, which are considered the most powerful recorded in Venezuela since 1900. Maiquetía International Airport remains closed due to structural damage, complicating the arrival of international aid, and over 137 aftershocks have been recorded with at least 7,000 missing.
The call this Friday also reflects the depth of the diplomatic shift between Washington and Caracas. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026, Trump formally recognized Rodríguez's government in March of that year, and the U.S. raised its flag at the embassy in Caracas on the 14th of the same month.
Rodríguez had already expressed on June 25 that "Venezuela will never forget the hand extended to our people in these very difficult times," a statement that carries even more weight after this new direct contact with Trump and Rubio.
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