A South Florida humanitarian organization is rushing emergency relief to Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck the country, killing at least 164 people and injuring more than 970, according to figures released early Thursday by acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
The back-to-back quakes, measured by the United States Geological Survey at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, hit near the capital of Caracas around 6 p.m. local time Wednesday, less than a minute apart. Buildings collapsed across the region, power went out across wide areas, and Rodríguez declared a state of emergency. The USGS warned that the final toll could rise sharply as rescue crews reach the hardest-hit zones.
Global Empowerment Mission, the disaster relief group headquartered in Miami-Dade, said volunteers and staff began assembling lifesaving supplies at its local headquarters, including food, water, hygiene kits, medical necessities, and other emergency items, with the first shipments set to leave Thursday. The organization said its recon and emergency response teams were deploying immediately and expected to be on the ground in Venezuela on Friday, working alongside its longtime partner I Love Venezuela. The group noted it had operated in the country before, during the refugee crisis in 2019.
The disaster carries deep resonance in South Florida, home to one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the United States. The damage extended to Venezuela’s main air hub, Simón Bolívar International Airport, which was shut down after sustaining heavy damage; a flight scheduled to depart Caracas for Miami was among those canceled.
The response is global. France pledged to send 85 search-and-rescue specialists, Germany prepared transport aircraft, and the United Nations announced the rapid deployment of urban search-and-rescue teams. President Donald Trump said on social media that the United States was “ready, willing, and able to help” and had instructed federal agencies to prepare to mobilize.
For families in Miami waiting on word from relatives, the hours after the quakes brought anguish and a scramble for information, with communication lines into the affected areas strained. Local organizers urged residents wishing to help to route donations through established relief groups rather than attempting to ship goods independently.
