The interim president Delcy Rodríguez met with the Israeli delegation in Venezuela and agreed to the extension for two additional weeks of aid work in the country following the devastating earthquakes, as part of an operation aimed at swiftly advancing the reconstruction of the country.
The decision was announced on Wednesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), following the meeting with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.
The continuation of the deployment was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, consolidating the presence of a delegation working on the design of a national reconstruction plan that the Venezuelan regime intends to begin implementing in the short term.
Delcy Rodríguez and the Israeli delegation
As part of this scheme, the Israel Defense Forces began mapping and categorizing approximately 1,300 buildings on Monday. The classification distinguishes between structures that must be demolished and those that could be recoverable despite the damage suffered.
In parallel, IDF Brigadier General Elad Edri noted that Israeli engineers have already provided guidance to Venezuelan authorities on how to manage the debris generated by the collapse of buildings.
Edri explained that the delegation departed from Israel on June 30 and arrived in Venezuela on July 1, after multiple complex stops. He also detailed that, due to the situation on the ground, other international delegations faced delays of between four and five days to access the affected areas.
The Israeli delegation in Venezuela
Even the Israeli contingent itself could not fly directly to Caracas, but had to land in Valencia and then travel overland to the capital.
As assistance and planning tasks progress, the impact of the earthquake continues to be reflected in official figures. The Ministry of Information of Venezuela reported on Sunday that the death toll has risen to 3,342. Additionally, 16,470 injuries and 17,345 homeless individuals were recorded.
According to state officials, nearly 200 buildings collapsed as a result of the quake. In this scenario, some of the affected individuals are housed in temporary shelters, while others remain in makeshift camps with tents. Meanwhile, an unofficial but widely used figure estimates that there are around 41,000 missing persons.
