Venezuela’s Health Minister Carlos ‌Alvarado has disclosed that at least 235 people have been killed and 4,300 others wounded from the back-to-back earthquakes, with most casualties recorded in the northern coastal region of La Guaira.

Alvarado said in an interview with state television, “We’ve unfortunately ⁠received about 235 ⁠patients, who arrive without vital ⁠signs or ⁠who pass ⁠away as they’re arriving at ‌our health centres.”

He told state television that at least 4,300 people were injured in the back-to-back earthquakes. Alvarado also said most of the casualties were recorded in the northern coastal state of La Guaira, which was badly hit. “The hospitals are full of patients, and we have incorporated field hospitals,” Alvarado said.

1000998448 — Damaged apartments can be seen in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, June 25, 2026.

Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello also revealed that more than 100 buildings have collapsed in the northern coastal state. Cabello noted that more than 70,000 families in La Guaira have been affected by the earthquakes, adding that the government is increasing the number of personnel deployed to the state from 4,200 to 11,500.

One of Venezuela’s 23 states, La Guaira has an estimated population of more than 480,000. The state lies along the country’s northern coast and is home to one of Venezuela’s main seaports and its principal international airport, making it a crucial economic hub. It is sandwiched between the Caribbean Sea to the north and a belt of steep mountains known as the Venezuelan Coastal Range to the south.

This leaves it particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, including earthquakes and landslides. La Guaira state has adapted to its narrow coastal strip, with many residential and commercial buildings constructed on the foothills and slopes overlooking the coast.

Venezuela’s Acting President, Felcy Rodriguez shared a video of her visit to Macuto, a seaside town in the country’s north, where she met with people affected by the crisis. In a post on X, Rodriguez said that the country would “continue to receive support from the international community” in the coming hours.

She also announced in a post that she spoke with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the crisis, stating that Guterres expressed “his deepest solidarity with the Venezuelan people and his condolences for the tragedy.” She added that the UN also has expressed “its full willingness to mobilise the capabilities of its system and its agencies” to help support emergency efforts.

Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the US are among the countries sending search-and-rescue teams and other humanitarian aid, alongside the UN..The Venezuelan Communications and Information Ministry said that at least 188 rescue workers from El Salvador have arrived in the country to support relief efforts. El Salvador is one of several Latin American countries providing assistance after the quakes. Earlier, El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, announced that he was dispatching three aircraft carrying personnel, equipment and supplies, including 50 tonnes of aid.

The UN’s child rights agency, UNICEF, warned that thousands of children are at risk following the quakes and called for their needs to be prioritised. “The images we are seeing from Venezuela and the stories we hear from colleagues on the ground are heartbreaking,” UNICEF Chief Catherine Russell said in a statement.

Countries Urged To Immediately Lift Sanctions On Venezuela

The US-based Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) urged the US and other countries to immediately lift sanctions on Venezuela to strengthen Caracas’s ability to respond to the earthquakes.

CEPR warned that international donors, including foreign governments and humanitarian organisations, will face significant restrictions when attempting to send funds and aid to Venezuela because of the economic curbs. Alex Main, the group’s Director of International Policy, said in a statement, “We have seen in previous instances how US sanctions have restricted and hampered earthquake relief efforts.”

“The Venezuelan government must be free to receive and allocate earthquake relief and to send humanitarian support to those who need it. Current US and other sanctions threaten to hobble the overall earthquake response.”
Alex Main

Meanwhile, the US military’s Southern Command announced that it is increasing the number of American personnel deployed to Venezuela to support relief efforts. In a post on X, SOUTHCOM, which is involved in operations across the Americas region, said it had “directed significant forces to the effort,” including an amphibious transport ship and a warship.

It said that the forces would assist US government personnel in Venezuela, as well as search-and-rescue teams and US agencies on the ground. The US State Department also announced that it was sending $150m to Venezuela to support emergency operations.