Delcy Rodríguez Confirms Call With Trump and Rubio as Washington Reaffirms Support for Venezuela's Earthquake Response

The leader of Venezuela’s interim government, Delcy Rodríguez, announced on Friday that she had a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which both reaffirmed Washington’s support for the South American country following the two earthquakes that have left, so far, hundreds dead and thousands missing. The announcement comes as local and international rescue teams work around the clock amid the rubble in La Guaira and Caracas.

According to a post by Rodríguez on her ‘X’ account, Trump and Rubio reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the relief efforts by sending rescue workers, specialized teams, assistance to temporary shelters, and humanitarian aid for affected families. The leader expressed gratitude for what she described as a gesture of friendship and cooperation. In the same series of messages, Rodríguez reported that she also spoke with the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, whose rescue teams are already deployed, primarily in the state of La Guaira, and also thanked the Chinese government for its message of solidarity. Throughout the day, Rodríguez also expressed gratitude for the support of dozens of countries.

The outreach to the White House is part of a large-scale U.S. response. Washington mobilized $150 million in humanitarian aid, channeled in part through the United Nations, and authorized temporary exemptions from certain sanctions to facilitate the delivery of supplies. Added to this on Friday was a military deployment: U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reported the dispatch of three C-17 aircraft carrying urban search and rescue teams, MV-22 aircraft to assess damaged airfields, and two Navy ships already positioned in nearby waters to support relief efforts.

The international operation continued to expand throughout the day. The organization Doctors Without Borders donated first-aid kits to a hospital in La Guaira to treat life-threatening injuries and is coordinating with the Ministry of Health to reinforce the medical staff. Brazil dispatched an Air Force aircraft from São Paulo carrying 36 firefighters, six search-and-rescue dogs, and 12 metric tons of cargo. The head of the Brazilian mission, Armin Braun, warned that a country’s capacity is quickly overwhelmed by an earthquake of this magnitude and that international efforts are therefore essential.

On the ground, however, the outlook grows bleaker with each passing hour. The head of the Chilean rescue contingent, Nadiomar Polanco, told the AFP news agency that there is little chance of finding survivors in a building complex at La Guaira, where the destruction is total, and noted that efforts are now focused on recovering the bodies of the deceased. Despite this situation, authorities reported that 243 people had been rescued in the city, which was hardest hit by the disaster.

The official toll released this Friday by the ruling party, via Congressman Jorge Rodríguez—Delcy Rodríguez’s brother—on state television, raised the death toll to at least 920 and the number of injured to more than 3,300, with 383 damaged buildings—including 13 hospitals and 25 shopping centers—and approximately 1,000 infrastructure sites affected. Authorities warned that the coming hours will be critical for finding survivors, while the risk from aftershocks recorded since Wednesday persists.