The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, expressed his solidarity with the government and people of Venezuela after the strong earthquakes that caused a tragedy in the country this Wednesday (24).
In a message published on social media, the Cuban president offered his “most sincere condolences” and reiterated “all solidarity with the government and people of Venezuela”. Furthermore, he stated that “Cuban health professionals are actively collaborating in caring for the victims.”
“A fraternal hug to the Cuban people, which once again demonstrates that the brotherhood between our countries is based on solidarity in action”, responded the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, when thanking Cuba for expressions of support.
According to Havana, the Cuban medical team in Venezuela is “fully mobilized” and provides assistance to the population affected by the emergency.
The country was hit by two consecutive earthquakes of great magnitude, measuring 7.2 and 7.5, recorded shortly after 6 pm (local time). This is the most serious seismic emergency in almost 60 years.
To date, the Venezuelan government has confirmed the deaths of 164 people and 971 injuries. Search and rescue operations, however, continue and could increase these numbers in the coming hours.
Civil Defense and National Emergency System teams work to remove rubble and carry out rescue operations in the Capital District and in the states of Miranda, La Guaira, Aragua, Carabobo and Falcón.
Furthermore, it is estimated that more than a thousand people were affected and that the earthquakes caused serious material losses.
Given the magnitude of the damage, the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, declared the state of La Guaira and the Greater Caracas region a “natural disaster zone”, due to the large number of building collapses. La Guaira, a coastal state located in the north of the country and close to Caracas, is the most affected area, with dozens of collapsed buildings.
As part of emergency measures, the Venezuelan government announced the opening of special credit lines to help those most affected. Furthermore, Rodríguez called for an ecumenical prayer for tonight with the aim of asking that “we are able to rescue alive the people who remain buried as a result of the collapse of houses and buildings.”
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
