CARACAS – El Salvador has reinforced its humanitarian response to Venezuela by dispatching a seventh aircraft carrying 120 specialists to support ongoing earthquake relief operations, President Nayib Bukele announced.
According to Bukele, the additional personnel will relieve part of the Salvadoran contingent that has been working in the disaster zone for days and has become physically exhausted. Despite the rotation, El Salvador will maintain an active mission of approximately 300 personnel on the ground.
The Salvadoran mission includes rescue workers, physicians, paramedics, psychologists, veterinarians, firefighters and other emergency response specialists assisting communities affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24.
The latest flight also delivered five additional metric tons of humanitarian aid, including medicines, food, medical supplies and specialized equipment to strengthen relief efforts in La Guaira, one of the regions hardest hit by the disaster.
Bukele acknowledged that the operation has entered an increasingly challenging phase as emergency efforts shift from the initial search-and-rescue operations toward sustained humanitarian assistance.
"Our teams continue working at 100 percent," the Salvadoran president said, praising the commitment of the country's emergency personnel.
El Salvador was among the first countries in Latin America to respond to Venezuela's request for international assistance following the twin earthquakes. Since then, dozens of countries have deployed rescue teams, medical personnel and humanitarian supplies as part of a large multinational relief effort coordinated with Venezuelan authorities and international organizations.
The earthquakes caused widespread destruction across northern Venezuela, particularly in La Guaira and surrounding areas, prompting one of the largest international humanitarian operations in the region in recent years. International teams continue to assist with emergency medical care, shelter, logistics and the distribution of essential supplies as recovery efforts progress.