Pope Leo XIV on Sunday expressed his closeness to Venezuela and announced an initial €100,000 in aid after two powerful earthquakes struck the country on 24 June, killing at least 1,430 people, according to United Nations figures. The pontiff, speaking in Spanish from the Vatican following the Angelus prayer, offered prayers for the dead and for the 50,000 people still listed as missing, and thanked rescue teams working in the hardest-hit areas.

The financial assistance, routed through the Apostolic Almoner, was decided after Vatican authorities consulted the apostolic nuncio in Caracas, Archbishop Alberto Ortega Martín, and the archbishop of the Venezuelan capital, Raúl Biord Castillo. In a separate address to the College of Cardinals on Saturday, the pope repeated his call for international solidarity with the stricken nation, saying: ‘We ask that the solidarity of the international community not be lacking for that beloved nation.’

Viewed from Brussels, the European Union moved quickly to complement the Vatican’s gesture. EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc had activated its Civil Protection Mechanism and dispatched search-and-rescue teams, firefighters and medical personnel. The Copernicus satellite system is being used to map damage and direct resources to the worst-affected zones, Kallas added, after speaking by telephone with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez.

In Venezuela, the bishops’ conference declared 28 June a day of prayer for the victims, asking that the collective act ‘ease the anguish and kindle hope.’ The nuncio, Archbishop Ortega, appeared in a local video message assuring Venezuelans that the pope was following the crisis closely. International rescue teams from Brazil and other nations continued to arrive, with Brasília sending a fourth flight of humanitarian supplies, including medication, water purifiers and a field hospital.
The twin quakes, of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck seconds apart on Wednesday evening, with the coastal state of La Guaira, adjacent to Caracas, bearing the brunt. The provisional toll stands at 1,430 dead, though authorities warn the number is likely to rise as search operations continue.