Cuban President Díaz‑Canel honors rescue brigade for Venezuela earthquake assistance

Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel awarded the “For Bravery during Service” medal to 18 members of Cuba’s Rescue and Salvage Brigade in a ceremony at the Portocarrero Hall of the Palace of the Revolution in Havana. The brigade had been deployed to Venezuela after the twin earthquakes of June 24, 2026 – magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 – that killed more than 6,125 people and collapsed hundreds of buildings.

The Cuban team arrived on June 28, operating in La Guaira alongside Cuban medical staff, forensic experts and rescue dogs, conducting search‑and‑rescue, body recovery and structural assessments. Lieutenant Colonel Rubén Eduardo Pupo Fuentes, head of the mission, said the rescuers “did not feel like strangers” and worked until no signs of life remained. Díaz‑Canel praised their “revolutionary solidarity” and declared the mission completed. The brigade returned to Cuba at the end of July, leaving a commitment to continue supporting Venezuela.