LatinNews Daily - 06 July 2026

Venezuela: On 1 July the US chargé d’affaires in Venezuela, John Barrett, told reporters that the US “is leading the largest international earthquake response in Venezuela’s modern history”, following the earthquakes that struck the country on 24 June. Speaking at a press briefing, Barrett said that US humanitarian assistance currently totals more than US$300m, with urban search and rescue teams comprised of more than 310 specialists being deployed on the ground. The head of the US Southern Command (Southcom), General Francis Donovan, also added that roughly 2,000 members of the US military are currently deployed in the land, air, or sea around Venezuela, and that “we have leveraged a large complement of aircraft, ground vehicles, [and] naval ships to support operations in and around Venezuela.” A prior press release from the US Department of State, dated 29 June, states that US military operations are “completely self-sustaining, with personnel on the ground requiring zero local resources as they work tirelessly to deliver critical relief to the people of Venezuela.” In terms of the US humanitarian funding, it “has been directed to a range of trusted international and non-governmental partners with proven capacity to deliver life-saving assistance quickly and effectively”, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), the Red Cross, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). At the 1 July briefing, Barrett was asked about reports from Venezuelan nonprofits that aid was being held or confiscated, replying that NGOs have “not reported any major issues in terms of getting their relief supplies and assistance out to community members in need.” Looking ahead, Barrett stressed that the Donald Trump administration’s three-phase plan for Venezuela, of stabilisation, recovery and democratic transition, outlined following the January capture of former president Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026), “very much remains intact”, but “reconstruction looks a little bit different, of course, since the devastating earthquake.”

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