Wednesday, 1 July 2026: The South African Communist Party (SACP) conveys its message of solidarity to the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela following last week’s devastating double earthquake, which has led to the death of close to 2,000 people, over 5,000 people injured, over 12,000 displaced, and 2,500 buildings damaged, among many other forms of destruction.

The SACP reiterates its message of condolences to the families of those who have been killed and wishes speedy recovery to the injured.

Additionally, the SACP conveys its heartfelt gratitude to the various forms of humanitarian aid pledged to the Venezuelan people, including the more than 20 international delegations that have been arriving in Venezuela to pledge their support. We appreciate efforts by South African organisations who are mobilising donations for the Venezuelan   people.

Despite the over 66-year-old US blockade on the Socialist Republic of Cuba, in their true internationalist spirit, the Cuban people were among the first to lend their practical solidarity to the Venezuelan people. On Sunday, a special search-and-rescue brigade from Cuba arrived in Venezuela to reinforce the work that was already being carried out by Cuban healthcare workers, who joined the effort to save lives from the very beginning.

Countries from the Global South, including Brics members China and India, have also pledged their solidarity. Additionally, while still beleaguered by the devastating US-Israel imperialist war against its people, the Islamic Republic of Iran has also pledged humanitarian aid as well as the dispatching of search-and-rescue teams to aid the Venezuelan people.

In total, more than 2000 rescuers from 27 countries, along with over 160 dogs, are frantically searching for people beneath the rubble.

It is important to remember that, as the Venezuelan people are now faced with one of the worst disasters in recent memory, they were already facing a paralysing aggression led from the north by US imperialism. Since 2005, the people of Venezuela have suffered and fought against sanctions imposed by the US imperialist regime, greatly impacting on their national development. Additionally, in 2017, some US allies, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, also imposed sanctions on Venezuela after failing to remove the democratically elected government, first under President Hugo Chávez and, after his death in March 2013, under President Nicolás Maduro. The US under Donald Trump illegally invaded Venezuela in January 2026 and abducted President Nicolas Maduro, to whom we reiterate our solidarity – as well as our solidarity with the people of Venezuela.

These imperialist-driven hindrances to Venezuela’s progress are now affecting Venezuela’s capacity to save the lives of those still under the rubble as well as providing emergency medical care to those who need it. As such, the deaths and injuries are also to be attributed to the paralysing machinations propagated by the imperialist US government.

In light of the devastation faced by the people of Venezuela, the SACP calls upon our government and others across the world who value the importance of justice and peace to do everything reasonably possible to provide all forms of practical assistance to the people of Venezuela both as they mourn their loved ones and as they seek to rebuild their country after this latest devastation. We also reiterate our solidarity with the people of Venezuela in the defence of their national sovereignty and the right to self-determination against US imperialist aggression.

ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY,
FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.
 
Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID
 
Mbulelo Mandlana, Head of Media, Communications and Information
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