The singer Nicky Jam announced on Tuesday that he is putting his private plane at the service of humanitarian aid for Venezuela, loading it with medications, canned food, and baby supplies destined for the areas devastated by the earthquakes of June 24.
The artist announced it through a post on Instagram that garnered over 572,000 likes, accompanied by images from the interior of his private jet filled with boxes of essential supplies, including diapers, canned foods, and other necessities.
“Today it’s not about music, stages, or applause. Today it’s about something much bigger, extending a hand to those who need it most,” wrote the reggaeton artist in the post.
In a video included in the same post, Nicky Jam was more direct about his intention: “I’m lending my plane to take supplies to Venezuela. We’re bringing the most important things: medication, canned goods, baby items, all of that.”
The artist made it clear that this is not an isolated gesture: "This is the first trip we are taking on the plane, but we will continue to take more trips."
Moreover, he took the opportunity to make a public call to his colleagues in the industry: "I am urging more artists to keep doing this. Many have done it, but there should be many more. Long live Venezuela, and we will get through this with God's favor."
The initiative generated an avalanche of support on social media. Actor Vin Diesel reacted with prayer emojis, singer Zion wrote, "We love Nicky and we will continue to help them, Long live VENEZUELA!", and the Latin Grammy commented, "Great Nicky."
Nicky Jam's action is a response to the seismic catastrophe that shook Venezuela on June 24, when two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 — just 39 seconds apart — struck the central coast of the country. The death toll has risen to 1,943, with over 10,571 injured, while the UN estimates that there could be as many as 50,000 missing under the rubble.
The economic damages are estimated at 6.7 billion dollars, which is equivalent to 6% of the Venezuelan GDP, and more than 6.76 million people were affected.
Nicky Jam's solidarity joins that of other Latin American artists such as Shakira, Ricky Martin, Carlos Baute, Lele Pons, J Balvin, Maluma, Camilo, Evaluna, Ricardo Montaner, Thalía, and Alejandro Sanz, who have mobilized their networks to coordinate donations and raise awareness about the crisis.
However, private aid has encountered obstacles imposed by the Venezuelan government itself: the regime of Nicolás Maduro militarized La Guaira with 14,000 troops, required credentials to access the affected areas, and blocked at least three planes with supplies coming from Miami, even diverting a flight with rescuers to the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, despite having official permission from the Venezuelan foreign ministry.
This is not the first time Nicky Jam has acted in emergency situations: in 2017, he led a fundraising campaign for Puerto Rico after Hurricane María, and in February 2019, he publicly spoke out for Venezuela, stating, "We are asking for humanitarian aid, people are dying."
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