World leaders and Venezuelan celebrities reacted Thursday with messages of solidarity and offers of assistance after two powerful earthquakes shook the South American nation, killing at least 164 people, injuring more than 1,000 and trapping many beneath collapsed buildings.Wednesday evening’s 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region.Venezuelan officials were trying to make the most of the daylight hours to speed up efforts to rescue people believed to remain trapped under the rubble.Here are some of the reactions from world leaders and celebrities to the earthquakes in Venezuela.US State Secretary Marco Rubio“The United States extends our deepest condolences to the people of Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on the social platform X.“America stands with the Venezuelan people during this difficult time and at the direction of President Trump, the State Department is immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.”
UN emergency relief chief Tom FletcherU.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement that Venezuela will need “all hands on deck” from the international community to deal with the aftermath of the earthquakes.“I’m in close contact with our team in Caracas to ensure a full and urgent response, including search and rescue support and emergency relief for survivors. International solidarity coming in,” Fletcher said.
