Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Two major quakes struck central Venezuela seconds apart, one with a magnitude 7.2 and the other with a magnitude 7.5
- At least 920 people are dead, with 3,360 injured, head of Venezuela’s national assembly Jorge Rodriguez said
- Venezuela’s president has declared a state of emergency
- Extensive damage reported in the capital of Caracas and the nearby state of La Guaira
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Follow along for the latest news regarding the earthquakes in Venezuela:
Skip next section IN PICTURES: Rescuers race to save trapped people06/27/2026June 27, 2026
IN PICTURES: Rescuers race to save trapped people
https://p.dw.com/p/5GABhSkip next section WATCH: Venezuela quake death toll surges as rescue efforts continue06/27/2026June 27, 2026
WATCH: Venezuela quake death toll surges as rescue efforts continue
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https://p.dw.com/p/5G9lcSkip next section UN deploys 1,600 rescuers as over 50,000 people remain missing06/27/2026June 27, 2026
UN deploys 1,600 rescuers as over 50,000 people remain missing
United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher said more than 50,000 people were still missing after Wednesday’s powerful earthquakes in Venezuela.
He said the UN has deployed 35 search and rescue teams, including 1,600 fully trained rescuers and over 100 dogs to help Venezuelan teams in the rescue effort.
“The priority is pulling as many people from the rubble, saving as many lives as we can,” he told Multimedios TV.
Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours a crucial window to retrieve people alive, though this can be extended if they have access to food and water.
Fletcher said the “scale of the devastation and working in an active earthquake zone,” posed challenges to the rescue teams.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G9jySkip next section Venezuela government restricts access to La Guaira06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Venezuela government restricts access to La Guaira
The Venezuelan government has said it will limit access to La Guaira state, one of the regions hit hardest by a pair of deadly earthquakes.
“Access to La Guaira state is restricted as of 8 p.m. (0000 GMT),” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in an address on the state-run channel Venezolana de Television.
Cabello said anyone wishing to travel to La Guaira would have to complete a registration form set up by the government in Caracas to “prevent people who do not have any assigned tasks” from traveling to the state.
Interim leader Delcy Rodriguez earlier asked people not to travel to the area north of Caracas.
The AFP news agency reported that residents and relatives of people trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in Caracas booed Rodriguez when she traveled to the site.
“Enough already with the political campaigning amid a tragedy like the one we’re experiencing,” they shouted while also accusing the government of “not doing anything for the people.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5G9DJSkip next section Death toll from Venezuela quakes rises to 92006/26/2026June 26, 2026
Death toll from Venezuela quakes rises to 920
Jorge Rodriguez, the head of Venezuela’s national assembly, said the death toll from the quakes has now jumped to 920.
There are also 3,360 injured due to the catastrophe, authorities say.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G8xFSkip next section Will the Trump administration exploit crisis to seek more concessions from the Venezuelan government? 06/26/2026June 26, 2026
Will the Trump administration exploit crisis to seek more concessions from the Venezuelan government?
US President Donald Trump has touted his relationship with the Venezuelan government under Delcy Rodriguez. Rodriguez came to power after the US military ousted President Nicolas Maduro and took him to the US to face trial.
Since taking office, Rodriguez has agreed to open up Venezuela’s state-run oil sector to foreign companies and has announced the release of political prisoners — both demands of the US.
DW asked Dr. Annette Idler, an associate professor at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government, if the Trump administration will use the disaster situation after the earthquakes in Venezuela to bolster US influence there and get more more concessions from the Rodriguez government.
“I think it is too early to say whether the Trump administration will seek additional concessions from the Rodriguez government,” Idler told DW. “What we can say is that major humanitarian crises often create moments in which international influence expands because countries providing significant assistance naturally become more important partners in recovery and reconstruction.”
“The key question is therefore not simply how much support the United States provides, but how that support is structured. If reconstruction is carried out in a way that strengthens Venezuelan institutions and remains locally led, it can reinforce the country’s political transition,” Idler said.
“If, on the other hand, recovery becomes overly dependent on decisions taken in Washington, perceptions of US influence are likely to grow. That balance between international support and local ownership will be one of the defining political challenges in the months ahead.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5G8XeSkip next section Oxford University professor: Venezuela quake ‘geopolitical stress test’ for interim government06/26/2026June 26, 2026
Oxford University professor: Venezuela quake ‘geopolitical stress test’ for interim government
Dr. Annette Idler, an associate professor at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government, gave her analysis of what the catastrophe means for Venezuela and the interim government under Delcy Rodriguez.
“The earthquake is not only a humanitarian catastrophe; it is also a geopolitical stress test that will shape Venezuela’s political future and its relationship with the United States,” Idler said.
“US support has been quickly announced but what is at stake is whether Venezuela is perceived as being dependent on decisions taken in Washington or whether Washington can support a locally-owned process of both short-term recovery and long-term reconstruction.”
“The question is whether Venezuela’s interim government will gain or lose legitimacy and confidence.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5G8SJSkip next section Death toll more than doubles to 589, acting president says06/26/2026June 26, 2026
Death toll more than doubles to 589, acting president says
Saim Dušan Inayatullah Editor
The death toll from the twin earthquakes that hit Venezuela late on Wednesday has reached 589 on Friday, acting president Delcy Rodriguez said.
Injuries are now at 2,980, she added.
“We are going to rescue the people who are trapped,” she said, surrounded by government and military officials. “We are working tirelessly on this task.”
She said the coastal state of La Guaira — which lies north of the capital, Caracas — has been hit the hardest. She said that security forces had been deployed to assist as crews search for survivors and distribute food and water.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G7WXSkip next section China offers aid to Venezuela after deadly quakes06/26/2026June 26, 2026
China offers aid to Venezuela after deadly quakes
Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered disaster relief and reconstruction support to Venezuela following deadly earthquakes.
State media said Xi sent a message of condolences to interim president Delcy Rodriguez, pledging assistance after the disaster.
The quakes have killed at least 235 people, with Chinese authorities earlier confirming that two of their nationals were among the victims.
Xi said Beijing stands ready to help with both immediate relief efforts and longer-term rebuilding.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G7SNSkip next section German relief aircraft en route to Venezuela06/26/2026June 26, 2026
German relief aircraft en route to Venezuela
The first German aircraft carrying aid workers and relief supplies to Venezuela took off from Wunstorf in Lower Saxony on Friday, the German DPA news agency reported.
The A400M Bundeswehr transport plane is carrying both soldiers and relief personnel, as well as equipment and supplies.
More planes are due to take off later on Friday.
“All the supplies are from the Federal Agency for Technical Relief or other aid organizations. We’re not taking any Bundeswehr equipment with us,” a crewmember was quoted as saying by the DPA news agency.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G73WSkip next section US general lands in Venezuela to aid relief efforts06/26/2026June 26, 2026
US general lands in Venezuela to aid relief efforts
A senior US military official has arrived in Caracas after Venezuela’s interim government “formally requested US support” following the two devastating earthquakes this week, Pentagon said on Friday.
“US Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard arrived in Caracas, Venezuela, today, to oversee Department of War support to Venezuela earthquake relief efforts,” said the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), whose area of responsibility covers Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to SOUTHCOM, the US military forces deployed will “utilize fixed and rotor wing aircraft to provide specialized mobility services and assist US Government personnel, search and rescue teams, and partners assessing damage and delivering critical life-saving assistance.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5G6yxSkip next section Two Spaniards dead, dozens missing after Venezuela quakes06/26/2026June 26, 2026
Two Spaniards dead, dozens missing after Venezuela quakes
Two Spanish nationals have been confirmed dead after the earthquakes in Venezuela, raising the number of foreign citizens killed in the Venezuela earthquakes to eight. Many more remain missing.
“We deeply regret the death of two Spaniards confirmed by their own families, to whom we extend our condolences,” the Spanish Foreign Ministry said.
“The number of Spaniards currently unaccounted for stands at 80.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5G65WSkip next section At least six foreign nationals killed in Venezuela twin earthquakes06/26/2026June 26, 2026
At least six foreign nationals killed in Venezuela twin earthquakes
The latest death toll following the twin earthquakes in Venezuela stood at 235 on Friday morning, reportedly including at least six foreign nationals.
- A Brazilian man and woman were killed in the disaster, Brazil’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.
- A dual Italian-Venezuelan national died after a building collapsed in La Guaira, Italy’s foreign ministry said.
- Two people from China were killed, according to the embassy in Caracas, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.
- One person from Portugal was also among the victims, the foreign ministry confirmed.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G5hDSkip next section Quake death toll rises to 235, health minister says06/26/2026June 26, 2026
Quake death toll rises to 235, health minister says
Venezuela’s Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said the death toll from the back-to-back earthquakes in the country has risen to at least 235.
“We’ve unfortunately received about 235 patients who arrived without vital signs or who passed away as they’re arriving at our health centers,” Alvarado said in an interview with state television.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G5T9Skip next section US deploys warships, planes to aid quake response06/26/2026June 26, 2026
US deploys warships, planes to aid quake response
The United States has said it’s deploying two warships, transport planes and helicopters to assist earthquake-hit Venezuela.
They include the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale and the littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15), as well as C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
The US military’s Southern Command said its forces would provide support for search-and-rescue teams and “US interagency partners as they assess damage, locate the injured, and deliver critical, life-saving assistance.”
Washington has also pledged to provide $150 million in aid.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said the US would provide a “whole-of-government” response to the twin quakes.
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