Venezuela: 589 dead in devastating, back-to-back earthquakes
Key takeaways
- Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said at least 589 people have died after two strong earthquakes rattled the capital and surrounding regions.
- 06/26/2026June 26, 2026Oxford University professor: Venezuela quake 'geopolitical stress test' for interim governmentDr.
- "The earthquake is not only a humanitarian catastrophe; it is also a geopolitical stress test that will shape Venezuela's political future and its relationship with the United States," Idler said.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said at least 589 people have died after two strong earthquakes rattled the capital and surrounding regions. DW has the latest.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G1FITeams are clearing debris from collapsed buildings and searching for survivors Image: Diko Betancourt/Anadolu/picture alliance Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Two major quakes struck central Venezuela seconds apart, one with a magnitude 7.2 and the other with a magnitude 7.5 At least 235 are dead, with over 1,500 injured, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado has said Venezuela's president has declared a state of emergency Extensive damage reported in the capital of Caracas and the nearby state of La Guaira Follow along for the latest news regarding the earthquakes in Venezuela:
06/26/2026June 26, 2026Oxford University professor: Venezuela quake 'geopolitical stress test' for interim governmentDr. Annette Idler, an associate professor at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government, gave her analysis of what the catastrophe means for Venezuela and the interim government under Delcy Rodriguez.