Twin Earthquakes Strike Already Vulnerable Venezuela

At 6:04 pm on June 24, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale struck near Venezuela’s Central Caribbean coast, with its epicenter near the town of Morón. About 40 seconds later, a second quake of 7.5 hit just to the east of the first one.

The second earthquake was the strongest to hit Venezuela in 125 years. In 1900, a 7.7-magnitude temblor hit near Caracas and remains the strongest on record. Prior to the double tremors of June 24, the most recent earthquake in Venezuela to exceed 7.0 on the Richter scale was in 2018 and claimed five lives. But the fatalities and infrastructural damage wrought by this year’s earthquakes will be higher, in part due to their relative shallowness. In 2018, the 7.3 quake emanated from 93.2 miles underground; the epicenter of yesterday’s 7.5 earthquake was 6.2 miles below the surface.

The initial casualty report, issued by the government around 6 am on June 25, estimates 164 deaths and 971 injured. But the toll is expected to rise as emergency services continue search and rescue efforts. The U.S. Geological Survey, using statistical analysis based on historical data, predicts the count could reach well into the thousands.

While the quake was felt in neighboring Brazil, Colombia, and the Dutch Caribbean islands off Venezuela’s northern coast, no reports of damage or injuries have been logged in those areas at this time. 

The preexisting precarity of Venezuela’s infrastructure, due in part to the country’s governance and economic crisis, has only amplified the disaster and complicated rescue efforts. Even before June 24, nearly 8 million citizens were categorized by the UN as in need of humanitarian support. 

Venezuela’s electrical grid has been prone to prolonged and chronic power outages, and this disaster knocked out power in large parts of the country. As of publishing, outages persist in Caracas and La Guaira. 

Cell service is also down, and Internet connectivity dropped from 90 percent to 65 percent after the disasters. 

Providing care for the injured will be a massive challenge for the country’s healthcare system. Experts note Venezuela’s hospitals and clinics have been resource strapped for years and have recently faced a doctor shortage. 

Another complication? Venezuela’s censored social media and press. The UN called upon the country’s telecommunications regulator, CONATEL, to unblock access so that critical information about the disaster response could flow.  As of June 25, some Venezuelans reported the ability to access X, which was previously unavailable. 

The U.S. Geological Survey has noted that many of buildings in the affected regions are not built to resist an earthquake, constructed in many cases of unreinforced brick masonry and adobe blocks. 

Offers of aid and support have poured in from across the hemisphere and world, including from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama ,and Uruguay.

The United States, which captured Maduro and removed him from power on June 3, has been facilitating an economic opening and a democratic transition, is sending search and rescue teams, in addition to resources and aid. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also noted his government is providing assistance on overhead imagery to assess damage.

“The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths. The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help!” - President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/laeZ9nvTMf

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 25, 2026

The Dominican Republic, France, and Mexico all announced they will send search and rescue workers. Germany offered the use of up to six of its transport aircrafts. 

One hurdle is that aid cannot be delivered through the country’s now-damaged main airport, Simon Bolívar International. Instead, the UN is directing emergency flights through the La Carlota airbase in Caracas. Military agencies, like the U.S. Department of Defense, are also helping their countries transport aid.

Rodríguez has already begun conversations to secure reconstruction funding, including a potential $200 million package from the International Monetary Fund. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates damages are likely to run anywhere from $10 billion and $100 billion. This will complicate the country’s economic recovery efforts; the Rodríguez administration had just begun efforts to restructure its $240 billion debt. 

If you're looking for more information or ways to provide support to Venezuela in this difficult time, Caracas Chronicles provides more information about affected areas and organizations offering supples and help on the ground.