U.S. Southern Command Chief Visits Venezuela to Coordinate Reconstruction

The head of the U.S. Southern Command, Francis Donovan, visited Venezuela to coordinate reconstruction efforts after devastating earthquakes struck on June 24. Donovan met with acting president Delcy Rodríguez and other Venezuelan authorities in Caracas to discuss cooperation for rebuilding infrastructure in the hard-hit La Guaira region.

Venezuelan state television reported that both nations are working on a "new agenda of cooperation that will help in the reconstruction of the affected infrastructure." Images of the meeting were broadcast, showing Donovan accompanied by the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires John Barrett and Major General Kevin Jarrard. The Venezuelan delegation included the Ministers of Interior and Defense, Diosdado Cabello and Gustavo González, respectively, along with Vice Minister for Europe and North America Oliver Blanco and the head of the diplomatic mission in Washington, Félix Plasencia.

The meeting's objectives extended to coordinating rescue operations, humanitarian assistance, and logistics. Rodríguez, who assumed the presidency six months prior following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the U.S., has been working closely with the U.S. administration on opening strategic Venezuelan sectors like oil, mining, and electricity to foreign capital. She also indicated ongoing conversations with the U.S. State Department and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure resources for reconstruction.

Venezuela has also been in contact with the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, which have offered non-reimbursable cooperation and credit lines for the recovery process. The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, have officially resulted in at least 3,535 deaths, 16,740 injuries, and left 17,854 people homeless. The official report indicates 856 buildings were affected and 190 collapsed.

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new agenda of cooperation that will help in the reconstruction of the affected infrastructure