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ConflictVenezuela earthquake death toll rises to 1,700; La Guaira port operational
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The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to over 1,700, with more than 5,000 wounded and 15,000 left homeless, according to top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez. The U.S. military announced that La Guaira port, one of Venezuela's two main ports, is now operational after repairs and is being used by the USS Fort Lauderdale to deliver critically needed supplies. The U.S. has pledged over $300 million in aid, up from $150 million, to provide emergency medical care, food, water, shelter, and logistics through partner organizations. Washington has also deployed four urban search-and-rescue teams with over 300 first responders and nearly two dozen search dogs. The assistance comes amid warming ties between the U.S. and Venezuela after American forces captured former president Nicolas Maduro in January and the Trump administration began working with an interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez.
Source report
U.S. military said it is using the port to deliver critically needed supplies and equipment to Venezuela
Updated - July 29, 2026 09:50 am IST - CARACAS
Agencies
The death toll from last week’s twin earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to more than 1,700 people, top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said on Monday (June 29, 2026).
More than 5,000 were wounded in the disaster, and more than 15,000 left homeless, Mr. Rodriguez added in an address on state television.
Venezuela’s Quake-Hit La Guaira Port ‘Operational’: U.S. Military
Venezuela’s La Guaira port is now “operational” after undergoing repairs and is being used to deliver aid to the earthquake-hit South American country, the U.S. military said on Monday (June 29, 2026).
The port — one of Venezuela’s two main ports — “is now operational, and the USS Fort Lauderdale is using the port to deliver critically needed supplies and equipment to Venezuela,” U.S. Southern Command said in a statement, referring to a U.S. warship dispatched to assist with aid efforts.
Earlier on Monday (June 29), a senior U.S. administration official told journalists that a “specialized team of Marines” was “working around the clock” to repair the port.
U.S. Pledges $300 Million in Aid
The U.S. State Department also announced that Washington has pledged more than $300 million in funding to aid Venezuela, up from a previous commitment of $150 million.
“These funds will provide emergency medical care, food assistance, water and sanitation, shelter, protection, and logistics,” the State Department said in a statement.
The money is being directed through partner organisations including:
- Samaritan’s Purse
- Catholic Relief Services
- the International Organization for Migration
- the World Food Programme
- the Red Cross
Washington has also deployed four urban search-and-rescue teams to Venezuela that are made up of more than 300 first responders and almost two dozen search dogs, it added.
The U.S. assistance for Venezuela comes as ties between Washington and Caracas have warmed in recent months after American forces captured former president Nicolas Maduro in January and the Trump administration began working with an interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez.
With inputs from Reuters, AFP
Published - June 30, 2026 03:09 am IST
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Venezuela earthquakes: Death toll rises to 1,700; La Guaira port now ‘operational’