People stand in the rubble near a damaged building following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, in the state of La Guaira, about 30 km northwest of Caracas, on June 25, 2026. (cREDIT: Federico Parra/AFP)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese foreign affairs and emigrants ministry stated Thursday that "no Lebanese nationals in Venezuela were injured as a result of the powerful double earthquake" that struck the Latin American country on Wednesday.
The ministry also announced that it is "closely monitoring the situation of the Lebanese community through the Lebanese embassy in Caracas," and has directed the embassy to provide "the necessary assistance" to the Lebanese community. According to a preliminary report by authorities, the two earthquakes — one with a magnitude of 7.2 and the second with a magnitude of 7.5 — have already left 32 dead and more than 700 injured.
The Lebanese diplomatic mission also expressed "deep sadness on behalf of Lebanon and sincere solidarity with Venezuela." The Foreign Affairs Minister , Joe Rajji, instructed the Lebanese embassy in Caracas "to provide all necessary assistance to members of the Lebanese community, to maintain direct contact with them to inquire about their situation, and to respond to their needs."
According to information relayed to Rajji, "no Lebanese nationals residing in Venezuela were injured as a result of the earthquake." However, "the building of the Lebanese embassy in Caracas suffered some material damage caused by the tremors." The ministry added that it is "closely following the developments on the ground" and assured that it "will remain in contact with the Lebanese community until the safety of all its members is fully confirmed."
Approximately 300,000 Lebanese nationals are registered in Venezuela, Lebanese ambassador to Caracas Nisrine Bou Karam said in January.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a first tremor with a magnitude of 7.2 occurred Wednesday at 6:04 p.m. local time (22:04 GMT) at a depth of 21.9 km, about 200 km west of Caracas, followed by a second with a magnitude of 7.5 at a depth of 10 km, recorded 39 seconds later, 45 km away, and then around twenty aftershocks. This "double event" is a "disaster that should have considerable magnitude" for this Latin American oil-producing country with a crisis-hit economy, according to the USGS. "It is likely that the toll will be heavy and the damage significant," the institute wrote.
