Many countries have offered their assistance with the rescue and recovery efforts. Among them is the United States, which has sent military personnel to the country to provide aid. American rescue workers are taking part in search and rescue operations. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez thanked Elon Musk for providing free access to Starlink satellite communications.
Mexico has sent 250 rescue workers to the country, Spain around 100, and specialists are also arriving from other countries in the region and Europe, including Colombia, Switzerland and Germany. There are reports of difficulties in organising the rescue operations – the country has been in a socio-economic crisis for some time. Hospitals are overcrowded, and there are reports of a shortage of medicines.
Commentators note that the significant role played by the US in providing aid indicates a shift in relations between Washington and Caracas, which were previously hostile. In January, the US military seized Venezuela’s then-leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and took him to the United States. Although Maduro’s former allies remain in power, relations between Venezuela and the US have changed radically.
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