On Thursday, the interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, declared a state of emergency in the country after it was struck by two strong earthquakes, followed by about 20 aftershocks, which led to the collapse of buildings in the capital, Caracas, and other areas. Rodriguez said that the two earthquakes killed 32 people and injured about 700 others, an initial toll likely to rise as search and rescue operations continue. Rodriguez, in a speech on state television alongside her brother Jorge Rodriguez, President of the National Assembly and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, said that she extends my condolences to the families of the victims. She added that Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, near Caracas, was closed due to the damage it sustained. In this context, US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela yesterday, Wednesday, caused a "horrific number of deaths." “The two major earthquakes that have just struck the great people of Venezuela are enormous in strength, and have caused a horrific number of deaths,” Trump wrote in a post on the Truth Social platform. He indicated that the United States is “ready, willing and able to provide assistance,” stressing that he has instructed all government agencies to prepare to act quickly. He added: "We will be there for our new and great friends, and the initial reports do not bode well." For its part, the United States announced that it is in contact with the Venezuelan authorities following the strong earthquakes that struck the country, and that it is working to mobilize aid for the South American country. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in a post on the “X” platform: “We are in contact with the authorities and are working to mobilize aid.” Two strong earthquakes shook the area west of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, yesterday, Wednesday, causing buildings to collapse and prompting experts to warn of the possibility of human losses and extensive material damage. The US Geological Survey said that the first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 and occurred about 160 kilometers west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a second earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5. The authority warned of the possibility of significant loss of life and severe damage, noting that the repercussions of the disaster could be widespread. At a time when the authorities announced an initial toll of 32 dead and about 700 injured, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello told state television: “Some buildings collapsed in Caracas, and houses collapsed.” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said to state television: “Some buildings collapsed in Caracas, as did homes.” Video footage showed emergency teams working among the rubble of one of the collapsed buildings in the capital as night fell. Many Venezuelans were in their homes when the two earthquakes occurred, coinciding with a national holiday commemorating a military victory in 1821 that paved the way for Venezuela's independence from Spain.