Vietnam Extends Condolences and Offers Support to Venezuela Following Deadly Earthquakes

Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: Vietnam’s leadership has conveyed its deepest condolences to Venezuela following a series of devastating earthquakes that have claimed hundreds of lives and left many others injured across the South American nation.

Speaking at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Phạm Thu Hằng said that after receiving news of the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm sent a message of condolence to Acting President of Venezuela Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez on June 25.

Hằng noted that Politburo member and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung, who is currently on an official visit to Venezuela, also personally conveyed Vietnam’s condolences to the Venezuelan leadership.

Addressing questions regarding possible assistance for Venezuela, the spokesperson reaffirmed Vietnam’s readiness to support the country in light of the strong traditional friendship between the two nations.

“Given the excellent traditional friendship between Vietnam and Venezuela, Vietnam stands ready to provide appropriate support and assistance to Venezuela,” Hằng said.

Regarding the safety of Vietnamese citizens residing in Venezuela, Hằng stated that, according to the latest information from the Vietnamese Embassy in Caracas, all Vietnamese nationals in the country remain safe.

“The Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela is working closely with local authorities to closely monitor the situation and provide timely assistance and citizen protection measures in the event that Vietnamese citizens are affected by the earthquakes,” she said.

The spokesperson also urged Vietnamese nationals requiring emergency assistance to contact the embassy through its Citizen Protection Hotline.

According to the latest figures released by Venezuelan authorities, at least 164 people have been killed and 971 others injured as of Thursday afternoon following the strongest earthquake to strike the country in more than a century.

The magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck less than a minute after an initial magnitude 7.2 tremor, impacting several regions of the country, including the capital, Caracas. Rescue and recovery operations remain underway as authorities assess the full extent of the damage.