A baby between nine and ten months old and her mother were rescued alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in the coastal area of La Guaira, Venezuela, by American urban search and rescue teams deployed after the devastating double earthquake on June 24.
The U.S. Department of State released images of the rescue on its official X account on Saturday, with the message: “Against impossible odds, hope endures. Every life saved is a victory.”
The little girl was the first to be rescued alive by the American specialists.
About an hour later, they also managed to rescue their mother, who was unharmed, in what neighbors and rescuers present described as a miracle.
The operation was led by members of the elite urban search and rescue team Virginia Task Force 1 from Fairfax County, Virginia, who worked alongside local firefighters.
According to a message on X, the mother and daughter only sustained minor injuries and were "taken to a safe place amid the cheers of the neighbors."
The images released show the extraction of both from among large concrete blocks and destroyed structures, amid an environment of severe devastation.
"This is our purpose: the delivery of hope," emphasized the American brigade.
The rescue was amplified by the Department of State as a symbol of humanitarian cooperation between both countries at a historically unprecedented moment.
The double earthquake, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, shook northern Venezuela on June 24 at 6:04 PM, with epicenters in San Felipe and Yumare, in the state of Yaracuy, occurring just 39 seconds apart.
The official toll as of Saturday stood at at least 1,430 dead, more than 3,360 injured, and over 54,000 missing, according to figures collected by international media. The UN estimated that 6.76 million people were affected.
The response from the United States was extensive. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the deployment of urban rescue teams from Fairfax, Virginia, and Los Angeles, California, each comprising 80 specialists, K-9 search dogs, and C-17 Globemaster aircraft.
The Southern Command also mobilized the USS Fort Lauderdale and USS Billings ships, Osprey and Chinook helicopters, and elite units from Miami-Dade.
The president Donald Trump authorized $150 million in humanitarian assistance: $50 million for organizations already operating in Venezuela—among them Samaritan's Purse, Catholic Relief Services, and the World Food Program—and $100 million channeled through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Trump referred to the Venezuelans as his "new and great friends" when announcing the aid.
The Department of the Treasury has temporarily suspended economic sanctions against Venezuela until October 23, 2026, to facilitate financial transactions related to aid, in an unprecedented shift in bilateral policy.
The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, publicly thanked for the U.S. aid, marking a turning point in the relations between the two countries.
In total, more than 25 rescue teams from 17 nations, consisting of over 1,000 specialists, were deployed in Venezuelan territory.
The rescue of the baby took place just as the so-called "golden window" of 72 hours for finding survivors was about to close, making the achievement of the U.S. teams, certified by the UN and experienced in disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the collapse of the Champlain Towers in Surfside, Florida, in 2021, all the more significant.
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