Prime Minister Godwin Friday has pledged that St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) will stand in “unwavering solidarity” with Venezuela following two powerful earthquakes there last week, committing US$100,000 as part of a CARICOM-coordinated relief effort.
Delivering a ministerial statement in Parliament on Thursday, the prime minister described the June 24 quakes as “one of the deadliest natural disasters in Venezuela in living memory”, noting that the scale of human loss and destruction was still unfolding.
‘A horrific disaster’
Friday said that, about a week after the earthquakes, the death toll was already close to 2,300, with over 11,000 injured and more than 4,500 hospitalised.
He noted that United Nations estimates suggest the number of dead could rise to 10,000 or more as recovery operations continue and the chances of finding survivors diminish.
“That is a horrific disaster, and a toll that is hard to comprehend,” Friday told MPs, adding that “numbers never tell the full story in a disaster”, and pointing to the trauma survivors will carry “perhaps for the rest of their lives”.
The quakes caused widespread damage to property and infrastructure, including in the capital, Caracas and other affected areas, he said.
Embassy on the ground, contacts ongoing
Friday said SVG’s ambassador in Caracas, Gareth Bynoe, remains in Venezuela and has been in regular contact with Foreign Affairs Minister Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble, providing updates “as circumstances permit”.
He added that Bramble has also been in touch with his Venezuelan counterparts, conveying condolences, expressing solidarity, and reaffirming SVG’s readiness to assist “in any way we can”.
US$100,000 pledge through CARICOM
The prime minister said that, despite severe resource constraints and SVG’s own recent disaster experience with Hurricane Beryl on July 1, 2024, Caribbean states were stepping up.
He noted that CARICOM has mounted a coordinated response, led by Guyana and facilitated by the CARICOM Secretariat.
“Despite our limitations and resource constraints, we too have pledged material support,” Friday said.
He announced that SVG has committed US$100,000 to the relief effort as part of the CARICOM package. He added that SVG will continue to provide support both bilaterally and through the regional mechanism.
Friday anchored SVG’s response in the longstanding relationship between Kingstown and Caracas, recalling that cooperation with Venezuela dates back to the early 1970s, before SVG’s independence in 1979, with formal diplomatic ties established in 1981.
“St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela have long shared an enduring friendship,” he said, referencing decades of collaboration, cooperation and partnership.
Friday said that, given this history and “our shared humanity”, Vincentians are called to be “our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers” at this moment of crisis.
Solidarity beyond borders
The prime minister extended SVG’s sympathies not only to Venezuelans but also to nationals of other countries who lost loved ones in the disaster.
“We mourn with the bereaved families and further extend our sympathy and support to the injured, displaced, and all those whose lives have been profoundly affected,” he said.
Friday commended the international community for its swift response and praised Caribbean states for contributing “even in the midst of their own economic and social challenges”.
Confidence in Venezuela’s resilience
The prime minister expressed confidence that Venezuela, which he described as a “resilient people”, will recover.
“We are confident that they will work through this difficult time and rebuild lives, homes, businesses, and communities,” he said, adding, “May God continue to be with them.”