US says it is mobilising assistance for Venezuela after earthquakes

WASHINGTON: The US said late on Wednesday it was in touch with Venezuelan authorities following strong earthquakes and was mobilising assistance for the South American nation.

“We’re in touch with the authorities and mobilising assistance,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on X. He said the earthquakes were “devastating.”

Strong earthquakes struck west of Venezuela’s capital on Wednesday afternoon, toppling buildings in Caracas, trapping people in the rubble and prompting scientists to warn of potentially heavy casualties and widespread destruction across the country.

US State Department official Jeremy Lewin said on X that the department had mobilised a disaster assistance team and task force to deliver and coordinate critical assistance to Venezuelans.

“Working with our partners in the interim Venezuelan government, the US will be sending search and rescue teams, medical and humanitarian supplies and other resources in the crucial first days after this tragic natural disaster,” he added.

The US embassy in Caracas reported that all American personnel were accounted for.

Ties between the US and Venezuela have warmed in recent months after American forces seized the country’s then-President Nicolas Maduro in a deadly raid on the capital in January.

President Donald Trump’s administration has engaged with an interim government led by former Maduro ally Delcy Rodriguez, including on an agreement for the US ​to sell Venezuelan oil, and it has issued sanctions waivers to encourage American investment.