Caracas, June 27: Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said that La Guaira state, which was hard hit by Wednesday’s twin earthquakes, had been placed under military control to facilitate rescue efforts and ensure security.

“We want to tell everyone that La Guaira state is now fully militarised and fully under the control of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces,” Rodriguez said during a televised briefing on Friday (local time).

Rodriguez said acting president Delcy Rodriguez had ordered the measure to ensure public safety, maintain internal order and facilitate rescue operations by Venezuelan emergency responders and international rescue teams.

He said the majority of rescue personnel were operating in Caraballeda, Macuto, Los Corales and Catia La Mar — areas that had been severely affected by the earthquakes, reports Xinhua news agency.

Rodriguez called on the public not to travel to La Guaira to avoid congesting evacuation routes and routes used for transporting rescue teams and equipment.

He also called on Venezuelans to donate supplies, including water, food, mattresses, clothing, blankets, light and heavy equipment, including earthmoving machinery, through collection centres set up in Caracas.

He thanked thousands of volunteers, officials and rescue organisations for their tireless efforts to save lives and assist those affected.

Technical and humanitarian assistance from more than a dozen countries has begun arriving in Venezuela to help victims and support early recovery efforts after Wednesday’s devastating earthquakes.

Rescue teams and specialised equipment have arrived in Venezuela since Thursday from countries including India, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Qatar, as well as from the UN system.

Wednesday’s earthquakes killed at least 920 people and injured more than 3,360, according to the latest official report, severely damaging infrastructure along the country’s central coast.

Caracas, June 26: Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez has introduced three key measures for rescue and reconstruction efforts after two devastating earthquakes struck the country’s northern regions on Wednesday.

The acting president has ordered mobilising debris-removal equipment from private companies, establishing a 200-million-USD assistance fund, and providing special credit lines to affected business owners, as essential measures in response to the powerful earthquakes unseen over decades in the country’s history, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the country is taking necessary steps to coordinate international assistance, Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said Thursday. At least a dozen countries from the region and other parts of the world have expressed solidarity and offered assistance.

Venezuela was struck on Wednesday by two consecutive earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, causing widespread destruction in the north-central state of La Guaira and severe damage across the Caracas metropolitan area.

Several world leaders on Thursday expressed solidarity with the people of Venezuela and offered aid following the devastating earthquakes that have claimed the lives of 32 people and injured over 700 people.

US President Donald Trump has expressed Washington’s support for Venezuela and said that he has directed US government agencies to get ready to move quickly.

“The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths. The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly. We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good!,” Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed solidarity with the people of Venezuela and said that she has instructed the preparation of the necessary aid for the South American country.

“Our solidarity with the people of Venezuela. The Secretariat of Foreign Affairs has been in contact with the government of the brother country, and I have already instructed the preparation of the necessary aid. For now, they have requested support with specialised personnel in rescue and health. Mexico is always and will be in solidarity”, she said in a post on X.

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele stated that 300 rescuers and paramedics with 50 tons of equipment, medicines, and essential supplies are ready to depart for Caracas.

Washington, June 24: The US Senate passed a war powers resolution on Iran, restricting President Donald Trump from launching further military operations in Iran without congressional approval.

The passage of the resolution on Tuesday marked the first time such a measure has cleared both chambers of Congress since the conflict began in February and signaled growing opposition to Trump’s handling of the war.

The Iran War Powers Resolution passed in Senate by a vote of 50 to 48, with four Republicans joining most Senate Democrats in support of the measure. One Democrat voted against it, Xinhua news agency reported.

The resolution “directs the President to remove US Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran unless a declaration of war or authorization to use military force for such purpose has been enacted,” according to a summary of the legislation published on the Congress website.

It also reaffirms Congress’ constitutional authority to declare war and initiate military hostilities, with supporters arguing that the war against Iran amounted to an unauthorized “war of choice.”

Some US media outlets described the resolution’s passage as largely symbolic.

“But Tuesday’s resolution will likely be largely symbolic, since the administration argues that US forces are not currently engaged in hostilities with Iran,” CBS News reported.

NBC News noted that “the largely symbolic measure’s passage comes as the US and Iran are in the early stages of talks aimed at ending the war.”

Democrats, however, argued that a war powers resolution remains necessary even after the United States reached a deal to end the conflict.

“I think it’s a good time to have the vote to say, ‘Hey, if we’re really in a period of maybe some stability here, let’s not just allow it to start up again without Congress being involved in that decision,'” Senator Tim Kaine told reporters last week, according to CNN.