Foreign Ministry reports 68 Spaniards missing after the Venezuelan earthquakes that have left more than 160 dead

Eduardo González The Spanish government conveyed its “full solidarity and support to the Venezuelan people” on Thursday following the powerful earthquakes that struck the country on Wednesday. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reported that “68 Spaniards have not yet been located” and announced to his counterpart, Yván Gil, that Spain’s emergency aid is already “on its way to Venezuela.” At least 164 people have died and nearly a thousand have been injured as a result of two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, which struck forty seconds apart in northern Venezuela. The damage is concentrated mainly in the states of La Guaira, Miranda, Aragua, Carabobo, Falcón, and Yaracuy, as well as Caracas, where buildings and infrastructure have been severely affected. According to acting president Delcy Rodríguez, the state of La Guaira is “the most affected,” with “dozens of buildings collapsed.” Authorities are already calling it the worst earthquake in Venezuela's history. “Our Embassy and Consulate in Caracas are fully operational, monitoring the situation and the well-being of Spanish residents in the country, and are fully available to our community,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “We are in contact with the authorities to assess the needs and offer our full support to send all necessary emergency aid,” it added. “My full solidarity with the Venezuelan people,” Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares posted on social media. The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) “is prepared to provide all necessary emergency assistance,” he continued. “Our Embassy in Venezuela and the Spanish Consulate in Caracas are fully operational for the Spanish community at the following telephone numbers: +34 91 000 1249 and +58 424-2090264,” he concluded. For his part, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez conveyed, via social media, his “full support and that of Spain to the Venezuelan people following tonight’s devastating earthquakes.” “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” the message concluded. The Royal Household has also expressed its “full support for the Venezuelan people in the face of the tragedy caused by the two earthquakes that have struck the country.” “We wish to convey our solidarity, our affection, and our strength to all those injured and the communities that have suffered this disaster. We share in the grief of the victims' families,” the statement added via social media. “Our thoughts are with Venezuela,” wrote the president of the People’s Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo. “All possible help to those who need it now. All our solidarity with a sister nation facing very difficult days ahead. And all our love to the many Venezuelans in Spain who are facing this tragedy with enormous anguish,” he added. “All my strength and love to the Venezuelan people after the powerful earthquakes that occurred tonight. I want to send my support to all the victims and their families. Spain is with you,” posted the Second Vice President and leader of Sumar, Yolanda Díaz. Conversations with Yván Gil Foreign Ministry sources have reported that Albares spoke by telephone with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil just minutes before departing with the King for Mexico, "to convey Spain's solidarity and offer its full support" through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Military Emergency Unit (UME), offered by the Ministry of Defense. "They agreed to speak again during the layover in the Dominican Republic to finalize the details of this assistance," they added. Foreign Ministry sources later reported that Albares had spoken again by phone with Yván Gil during the stopover in the Dominican Republic to finalize AECID's assistance and to convey "the full solidarity of the Spanish people with the brotherly people of Venezuela." The two ministers agreed to speak again to discuss the needs and operations. Minister Albares also spoke with the Spanish ambassador to Venezuela, Álvaro Albacete. During the conversation, Albares informed Gil that the UME and an AECID team were on board the Air Force plane to conduct an initial assessment of humanitarian needs. The plane was also carrying first-aid supplies such as blankets, sleeping mats, and water purification tablets. The same sources indicated that AECID has made all its resources available: supplies, funding, and the START team's field hospital. Teams already on their way “I spoke again with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Iván Gil from the Dominican Republic, where I am currently on a stopover with His Majesty the King en route to Mexico,” Albares explained in an audio statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “I reiterated the solidarity of the Spanish people and Government with the Venezuelan people and offered all the emergency and humanitarian resources of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Spanish Government for whatever they may need during these difficult times for Venezuela and its people,” he added. “I agreed with the Venezuelan Foreign Minister to remain in constant contact to continue analyzing the best way to help the Venezuelan people and Venezuela during these challenging times, and I assured him that Spain will certainly be by their side throughout this entire process,” he affirmed. “At this moment, Spain’s emergency aid, including rescuers from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) and specialized teams from AECID to assess the needs, is already en route to Venezuela,” Albares announced. “We are also deploying the AECID field hospital, and the logistics base that the Cooperation Agency has in Panama is fully operational,” he added. “The Spanish Embassy and Consulate in Venezuela are also fully operational for the Spanish community,” Albares continued, specifying that “the Consulate building has suffered significant damage, but not the Embassy, whose building has sustained some damage, though less severe than that of the Consulate.” According to Albares, “the crisis unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Consular Services is also constantly monitoring our community.” “We are focused on establishing a list, a census, of the situation in which the community finds itself,” he explained. “At this moment, as I speak to you, 68 Spaniards have not yet been located,” he specified. “Therefore, I appeal to all Spaniards who are in Venezuela and who have not yet contacted the Embassy and the Consulate, to please pay attention to social media, the websites of the Embassy and the Consulate in Venezuela, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where they will find the consular emergency phone numbers to contact us,” he stated. The Military Emergency Unit (UME), Telefónica, and the Community of Madrid Specifically, 54 soldiers from the Second Emergency Intervention Battalion (BIEM II) of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) are “prepared to support rescue efforts in the Venezuelan earthquake,” according to the Ministry of Defense. The USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) team's capabilities combine the use of specially trained search dogs and specialized equipment, such as rescue cameras and geophones. Meanwhile, "in response to the earthquake in Venezuela," Telefónica, through Movistar and O2 (personal and business lines), has enabled free calls "to help people stay connected with their families and loved ones during this time," the company announced in a statement. Additionally, through eSIMFlag, it will provide free days of service to those who must travel to Venezuela for professional, humanitarian, or emergency reasons, to ensure their connectivity from arrival and throughout their stay. "Telefónica expresses its solidarity with all those affected and reiterates its commitment to helping maintain communications in emergency situations," the statement concluded. The Community of Madrid has offered its Emergency and Immediate Response Team (ERICAM) to the Ministry of the Interior to assist in rescue efforts following the earthquake in Venezuela. “They are an elite team specializing in rescues and victim assistance. I am deeply saddened that the people of Venezuela, after everything they have endured, are now suffering something like this. We will be at their complete disposal for anything they need,” declared the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, during an interview on Telecinco. ERICAM is comprised of firefighters specializing in collapsed structure rescue, four canine units for locating victims, and medical professionals from SUMMA 112. According to the Community of Madrid, a contingent of 40 personnel is available should the Spanish government activate military transport within the European Civil Protection Mechanism or in direct coordination with Venezuelan authorities. The Canary Islands Government has activated a monitoring committee to assess the situation in Venezuela and its potential impact on the thousands of Canary Islanders residing there. The President of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo, and the Vice President, Manuel Domínguez, have suspended their schedules to closely monitor developments. The Spanish Consulate General in Venezuela has issued a statement calling on the entire Spanish community to "remain calm, act prudently, and follow civil protection recommendations." It also advises Spaniards to stay informed "only through official channels." "Avoid spreading unverified information," it adds. The Embassy in Madrid and Consulates in Spain mobilize The Venezuelan Embassy in Madrid and the five Venezuelan Consulates in Spain have activated a special support system to assist citizens who need information about their relatives. To this end, according to a statement from the Embassy, several telephone lines have been set up to answer inquiries, provide official information, and assist citizens who have been unable to contact their relatives in locating them. The measure was ordered by the Venezuelan Ambassador to Spain, Timoteo Zambrano, following instructions from the Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil, with the aim of providing immediate support to the Venezuelan community residing in Spain. Venezuelans requiring assistance, information, or support in locating family members can contact the following numbers: Embassy of Venezuela in Madrid: +34 915 981 200 Consulate General in Madrid: +34 650 817 137 Consulate General in Barcelona: +34 650 285 759 Consulate General in Bilbao: +34 639 154 752 Consulate General in Vigo: +34 672 353 744 Consulate General in the Canary Islands: +34 608 670 628 The Embassy reiterated that both the diplomatic mission and the consulates will remain available to assist citizens and coordinate the necessary actions with Venezuelan authorities on behalf of families affected by the emergency. International Aid The Government of Venezuela has expressed its gratitude for the massive outpouring of solidarity and offers of humanitarian assistance from the international community and has extended its thanks to the United Nations (UN) and its various agencies, particularly the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), for its willingness to coordinate humanitarian support. Among the American leaders who have sent words of encouragement and offered humanitarian cooperation are Miguel Díaz-Canel of Cuba, Donald Trump of the United States, Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Santiago Peña of Paraguay, Irfaan Ali of Guyana, José Raúl Mulino of Panama, José Antonio Kast of Chile, Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, and Nayib Bukele of El Salvador. At the global level, the interim presidency has thanked the leaders of Europe and Asia for their support and their offers of technical assistance and rescue. These include /in addition to Felipe VI, Pedro Sánchez and José Manuel Albares) the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin; The President of France, Emmanuel Macron; the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić; the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi; the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif; the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni; the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; and the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.Enviar comentarios

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