Canada prepares to send aid to those hit by Venezuelan earthquakes

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Ottawa will be sending some amount of humanitarian aid to support Venezuelans following what he calls “catastrophic earthquakes” overnight.

In a statement, Carney expresses his condolences to the injured, dead and displaced and says Canada is preparing to deliver humanitarian assistance “in the days and weeks ahead.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says the suffering is “heartbreaking” and “many are facing unbearable days ahead without shelter, food or certainty.”

Global Affairs Canada officials are in touch with regional partners and aid groups, Anand says, and Canada will “contribute to humanitarian efforts as appropriate.”

Canada and Venezuela have not formally severed relations but Ottawa closed its Caracas embassy in June 2019 after Venezuela refused to renew expiring visas for diplomats.

Canada is one of several countries supporting Venezuelan opposition leaders following an election that was widely viewed as stolen.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press