Venezuela's Resilience Tested as Earthquake Death Toll Climbs
LiveTwo powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening.Last Updated: June 28, 2026, 10:06 PM EDTAt least 1,450 people were killed and some 3,150 injured as a pair of powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, officials said.The two quakes -- a 7.2 magnitude one followed just seconds later by a 7.5 -- struck the coast of Venezuela, knocking down buildings in Caracas, the capital, and sending residents racing into the street.Responders are undertaking "intensive rescue operations," searching for people thought to be under the rubble, Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said.Key HeadlinesJun 28, 2026, 3:31 PM EDTJun 28, 2026, 8:19 AM EDTJun 27, 2026, 3:11 PM EDTJun 27, 2026, 6:23 AM EDTJun 26, 2026, 10:08 PM EDTHere's how the news is developing.Jun 28, 2026, 10:05 PM EDTLa Guaira's power 75% restored after deadly earthquakes, acting president saysAbout 75% of electricity service has been restored in La Guaira state, Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said. The region includes a major port."Teams continue working toward full restoration of electrical services in the state, as well as water services, which is at 68%, and roadways, which are about 90% restored, all the transit and circulation, which is very important for rescue operations," she said.Jun 28, 2026, 6:20 PM EDTUS Southern Command says 100 airmen arrived to help reopen airportA Contingency Response Element (CRE) that includes 100 US Air Force airmen arrived in Venezuela on Sunday and will help make repairs at Simon Bolivar International Airport -- which serves capital city Caracas -- to make it operational, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).Over the next 24 hours, 130 Marines will arrive at La Guaira to help reopen its port so that it can be used as an entryway for aid, SOUTHCOM said.-ABC News' Luis MartinezJun 28, 2026, 4:27 PM EDTUS Southern Command posts photos of US military personnel in VenezuelaU.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) posted several photos on X Sunday of U.S. military personnel meeting with Venezuelan officials, including Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard, conducting a survey at the Port of La Guaira."The United States stands with the Venezuelan people and has mobilized an unprecedented, large-scale response to support international earthquake relief efforts in the country," the SOUTCOM post said. "The @DeptofWar is supporting the @StateDept-led U.S. response."U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard (center, right) and U.S. military personnel coordinate with Venezuelan officials, June 28, 2026, to conduct a port survey at the Port of La Guaira, Venezuela.U.S. Southern CommandJarrard was dispatched to Venezuela on Thursday, the day after the two deadly earthquakes, according to SOUTHCOM.U.S. Marines with Littoral Combat Force-24 and U.S. sailors from the USS Fort Lauderdale deliver critically needed disaster assistance supplies, June 27, 2026, at La Guaira Port, Venezuela.U.S. Southern CommandLater Sunday, SOUTHCOM also shared a video on X that it said is from a Venezuelan citizen and which shows U.S. Marines marching past a site to assist search and rescue efforts, featuring someone ff camera say “USA, thank you!”-ABC News' Cindy SmithJun 28, 2026, 3:31 PM EDTEarthquake death toll rises to 1,450, Venezuelan official saysThe death toll has increased to 1,450 from last week's twin earthquakes in Venezuela, according to a government official.National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez posted the update to X on Sunday afternoon, adding that the number of injured is 3,150, which is down from the previously offered number of 3,200.Rescue workers search through the rubble three days after earthquakes struck Catia La Mar, Venezuela, on June 27, 2026.Fernando Vergara/AP PhotoSome 12,721 people have been displaced by the earthquakes, Rodriguez also wrote, with 774 buildings affected, 189 of which had collapsed, he said.Analysis of satellite images by researches at Oregon State University calculated the number of damaged or destroyed buildings at nearly 60,000.
