Caracas, July 9, 2026 (Lusa) - The secretary of state for Portuguese Communities, Emídio Sousa, began a four-day visit to Venezuela on Wednesday, where he encountered a “devastating situation”, but also found many Portuguese people showing “solidarity” with the victims of the earthquakes that have ravaged the country.
“As for our people, I am proud to see people with the strength to carry on, people who show solidarity. I met many friends and acquaintances, and many people willing to help. However, the scene I encountered during my visit to La Guaira – where the earthquake was felt most strongly – is devastating,” he told Lusa.
He explained that he saw “buildings, and buildings, and buildings completely flattened” and “people sheltering in tents”.
“There is a full-scale tragedy beneath that rubble, on an absolutely colossal scale. It is truly heartbreaking to see people wandering about there [whilst] efforts are still being made to clear the rubble to recover bodies. I was struck by the extent of the destruction caused by the earthquake in that area,” he said.
He also emphasised that there is a major mobilisation of the international community to help Venezuela and that “Portugal is at the forefront of this”, initially by sending an experienced rescue and relief team.
“And now [the second phase] involves humanitarian aid. There are two projects I have already mentioned, run by Caritas and Oikos, which will deliver this humanitarian aid, and then there is a third phase, which we must start thinking about: support for rebuilding people’s lives and the economic fabric – in short, for Venezuela’s recovery so that the lives of everyone here can improve,” he added.
“I’d also like to tell people in Portugal and elsewhere who are looking to send goods not to do so, because it’s very difficult to transport them from Portugal to here. The cost of the entire transport logistics is far too high; it ends up being much more expensive. Therefore, at the moment, we have already publicised on our social media the two verifiable projects run by Cáritas and Oikos, to which people can direct their donations,” he said.
The earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24 June caused at least 3,811 deaths and 16,740 injuries, according to the latest official figures.
Among the dead are at least 102 Portuguese nationals and people of Portuguese descent, whilst a further 57 are missing or cannot be contacted.
Several countries, including Portugal and other European Union member states, have sent search and rescue teams to Venezuela.
The operations base for the Portuguese earthquake response mission is located in Catia la Mar, in La Guaira, an area with a large concentration of Portuguese nationals and people of Portuguese descent, and one of the worst-affected areas.
The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck 200 kilometres from Caracas, less than a minute apart, and were followed by more than 1,100 aftershocks, according to the United States Geological Survey.
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