Russia is considering providing assistance to Venezuela in the context of the earthquake suffered by the Caribbean country on Wednesday night (24). The information comes from the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
“We are evaluating the possibility of providing assistance to our Venezuelan friends,” said the diplomat during a press conference this Thursday (25).
“We send our sincere condolences and moral support to everyone who lost loved ones as a result of the natural disaster. We wish the victims a speedy recovery,” the diplomat added.
Earlier, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that President Vladimir Putin had already expressed his condolences to Caracas over the incident. He also stated that Russia would consider Venezuela’s request for assistance if it were made.
According to Peskov, the timing of the tragedy was still in its early stages and the death toll would likely be higher than reported by the media.
“Of course, we are talking about the first hours after this tragedy. The number of victims, apparently, is much higher than the numbers that are being reported by the media. If there are any appeals from our Venezuelan friends, they will, of course, be responded to promptly,” he said.
Putin sends condolences
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences following the strong earthquake in Venezuela through a telegram sent to Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodríguez and published on the Kremlin website.
“Dear Mrs. Rodríguez, please accept my deepest condolences for the tragic consequences of the devastating earthquake in northwest Venezuela,” the president said in the note.
Vladimir Putin also expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to all those injured. He noted that Russia expresses feelings of solidarity and support for the friendly Venezuelan people.
The tragedy in Venezuela has already left at least 164 dead and 971 injured, according to the most recent report released by the Venezuelan government. The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes were the strongest recorded in more than a century in the country.
The earthquakes caused the collapse of buildings, damage to infrastructure and interruptions in the supply of energy and services in different regions of the country.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
