Venezuela halts rescue at collapsed La Guaira building after deadly June earthquakes

A double earthquake struck Venezuela on 24 June 2026, causing the collapse of a residential building in the La Guaira district of Caraballeda. Volunteer rescuers from the Topos de México team, led by Carlos Cienfuegos, spent weeks searching for Yulida Verdú and her nephew. On the night of 6 August they stopped the operation after detecting an imminent structural failure: the building’s slab had dropped 60–70 cm in a day, main beams shifted and wind‑induced cracks appeared. The team reported no biological remains and withdrew all safety lines to avoid further danger, stating, “Ya es un peligro seguir trabajando acá.”

In the aftermath, Venezuela’s government under Delcy Rodríguez reversed years of isolation and welcomed international assistance. UN senior official Gianluca Rampolla offered worldwide rescue teams, saying, “Que entren todos, no importan los países, no importa si son aliados, no aliados, tráiganlos a todos.” Rescue and humanitarian crews from the United States, Israel, Guyana, El Salvador and other nations were deployed, bringing advanced equipment that helped save lives despite the country’s weakened emergency capacity.