Pope Leo XIV Addresses Venezuelan Leaders in Caracas

Pope Leo XIV sent an initial €100,000 emergency donation to Venezuela as rescue efforts continued following devastating earthquakes that killed at least 164 people and caused widespread destruction. The Holy See stated that the aid, coordinated with the Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela, Archbishop Alberto Ortega Martín, and the Archbishop of Caracas, Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo, represents only a first step, with further assistance planned in response to needs identified by the local Church.

International assistance began arriving from across the Americas and beyond, as search-and-rescue teams raced against time to find more survivors beneath the rubble.