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A second contingent of Cuban specialists—rescuers, surgical doctors, and forensic experts—landed this Monday in Venezuela to join the search and medical assistance efforts following the devastating earthquakes of June 24, as reported by the Cuban Medical Brigade in Venezuela through their social media.
The group, belonging to the Henry Reeve Contingent, arrived at the Arturo Michelena International Airport in Valencia, Carabobo state, where they were received by the Cuban ambassador Jorge Mayo, Dr. Yusleivy Martínez Carmona, head of the Cuban Medical Brigade in the country, and Víctor Fidel Gaute, head of the National Work Group.
This second group joins the one that arrived on Sunday as the first wave of the Special Brigade for Salvage and Rescue, which included three trained dogs specialized in locating people under rubble and was also welcomed by the Deputy Minister for Latin America of the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, Mauricio Rodríguez.
The earthquakes of June 24 —two tremors with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 that struck the northern part of the country just 39 seconds apart— are the most destructive recorded in Venezuela since 1900.
The official balance at the close of this Monday stood at 1,719 deceased and 5,034 injured, according to the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, while the UN estimates up to 50,000 missing.
More than 189 buildings collapsed, primarily in La Guaira and Caracas, leaving at least 15,866 people homeless. The economic damages are estimated at 6.7 billion dollars.
In parallel to the humanitarian deployment, the Cuban regime is facing an uncomfortable situation: at least 30 Cubans are reported missing under the rubble in areas such as Caraballeda, Catia La Mar, and Los Corales, in the state of La Guaira.
On Sunday, it was also confirmed the death of a Cuban family of six members found dead under the rubble in Playa Grande: Alain Rodríguez Rojas, Yadina de la Caridad Yáñez Linares, Teresa Rojas Rodríguez, Raudel Diosdado Rodríguez, the six-year-old boy Dylan Xander Rodríguez Yáñez, and Gladys María Linares.
The MINREX took days to officially acknowledge the casualties. On June 27, the Director General of Consular Affairs, Ana Teresita González Fraga, stated that "so far we do not have official confirmation" of injured, deceased, or missing compatriots.
The Cuban Medical Brigade in Venezuela concluded its publication with a phrase that summarizes the official narrative of the deployment: "There are no distances or borders when it comes to saving lives. Two nations, one heart beating for hope."
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