00:00Venezuela is thanking Trinidad and Tobago for the help it is providing following the devastating two earthquakes last week that
00:07so far has left over 2,000 people dead while the search for the missing continues.
00:14Late last week, after a meeting led by Ministers Sean Sobers and Khadija Amin on the instructions of Prime Minister
00:22Kamala Pesad-Besessa, the public and private sectors in Trinidad and Tobago agreed to have a national collection drive for
00:28the people of Venezuela.
00:30Venezuela's embassy in Port of Spain said on social media on Tuesday,
00:33We truly thank the people of Trinidad and Tobago for the solidarity shown following our call for humanitarian assistance. Thanks
00:42to the generosity of individuals, organizations, students, retirees, and the Venezuelan community, we received over two tons of food, water,
00:51medicines, and essential supplies on the very first day of collections.
00:58Venezuela's embassy added that it continues to accept donations.
01:03But as rescue efforts continue, Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez reported 2,295 deaths from the quakes a week
01:14ago on June 24th.
01:16In Port of Spain, Venezuela's embassy has, via social media, invited the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the Venezuelan
01:23community residing in Trinidad and Tobago to sign the book of condolences at the embassy.
01:28The embassy said the signing will begin on Thursday, July 2nd and conclude on Thursday, July 9th, 2026, between 10
01:36.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. and then between 2.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.
01:41The U.S. State Department held a virtual media briefing on Wednesday about what it called the Trump administration's robust
01:48and rapid delivery of life-saving assistance for the Venezuelan people.
01:52Charged the Affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, John Barnett, said the U.S. is committed to closely
01:58working with the Venezuelans to ensure that they work day and night for the weeks, months ahead, to attend to
02:05the needs of those affected.
02:06One of the most important needs going forward, starting now into the immediate and medium terms, of course, will be
02:14the provision of shelter.
02:15And that's why this has been a major focus as of late to bring in shelter material to take care
02:21of the displaced citizens.
02:22The U.S. diplomat in Venezuela said there is also a huge task ahead in terms of debris removal, sanitation,
02:30water and energy generation.
02:31U.S. South Compton Commander General Francis L. Donovan spoke about the arrival at the port of La Guerra in
02:39northern Venezuela on Sunday of the USS Fort Lauderdale, an amphibious transport dock vessel.
02:45I appreciate the recognition of the fort Lauderdale, as the charge said, it is part of the relief effort that
02:56will remain in place until for us from the Department of War, until the Department of State says that they
03:02have coordinated with the Venezuelan government, that it would be time to then stop operations.
03:07We have not had those discussions at this point. We are focused on saving lives right now, finding folks still
03:15in the rubble and setting conditions for logistic delivery of relief supplies.
03:19In response to a question, during the briefing, the U.S. diplomat said the cost of the recovery will be
03:24great.
03:25One thing that gives us a high level of confidence is that, fortunately, this destruction from the earthquake did not
03:32impact the country's oil and gas sector.
03:35So that production continues and that continues to increase with the investments that the United States and private enterprise from
03:43around the world had already begun to initiate here in the economic recovery phase of the president and the secretary's
03:51three-phase plan.
03:52However, Shash the affairs man said that he is, quote, focused right now on saving lives, end quote.
04:00Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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