Rubio: US aid to Venezuela after earthquakes was among fastest ever

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that Washington's humanitarian deployment after earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24 became one of the fastest assistance operations ever undertaken by the United States. He emphasized that mobilization began mere hours after the emergency, following instructions from President Donald Trump.

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It was a spectacle to behold. It is one of the fastest, most dramatic, and most effective humanitarian responses, certainly in recent history.

Rubio stated that within 36 hours, US civilian and military agencies were already supporting the affected population. He described the operation as an "example of institutional coordination" and "one of the fastest, most dramatic, and most effective humanitarian responses, certainly in recent history."

The US official recounted that President Trump ordered assistance activated almost immediately upon learning the disaster's scale. "Within an hour after the earthquake occurred, I remember it because I was flying over the ocean, the president called and said, 'Make sure we get in and help these people recover from this,'" Rubio said.

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Within an hour after the earthquake occurred, I remember it because I was flying over the ocean, the president called and said, 'Make sure we get in and help these people recover from this.'

The operation received backing from the US Department of Defense and Armed Forces, which Rubio credited as key to the humanitarian mission's logistics. He explained that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford served as a support platform, while military personnel assisted with airport and control tower operations to facilitate the arrival of international aid flights. "The effort of the Department of Defense was phenomenal," the top US diplomat stated.

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The effort of the Department of Defense was phenomenal.

Rubio also commented on the continent's political landscape, asserting that the United States maintains favorable relations with most Latin American governments. "The vast majority of countries in the Western Hemisphere are now led by pro-American leaders and governments. It is an extraordinary achievement," he asserted. Rubio attributed this to political shifts in the region over recent years, viewing it as a factor strengthening US foreign policy toward the Western Hemisphere.

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The vast majority of countries in the Western Hemisphere are now led by pro-American leaders and governments. It is an extraordinary achievement.