The UN Coordinator in Venezuela, Gianluca Rampolla, confirmed this Thursday that there are “absolutely no access barriers” for international aid and rescue teams entering the country following recent earthquakes.
The United Nations Coordinator in Venezuela, Gianluca Rampolla, explicitly refuted claims of obstruction, affirming the international body is working in full coordination with the Venezuelan State to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches affected communities promptly.
“There is no limit to access… Where is the evidence? I repeat: we have all the teams that, furthermore, we have mobilized through our platform for mobilizing rescue teams. All the teams that arrived, entered. Obviously, it is necessary to have a structure, a coordination, but there is absolutely no access barrier”, Rampolla emphasized.
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Rampolla’s remarks came as the UN intensified its efforts to unify resources with Venezuelan institutions, aiming to streamline the flow of both technical assistance and humanitarian aid to areas impacted by the telluric movements. This collaborative approach, he noted, has been in place since the Venezuelan State formally requested international support at the outset of the climatic and seismic contingency.
Junto con el equipo de @onuvenezuela, me he desplazado a las zonas impactadas por los terremotos y al Centro de Coordinación de Búsqueda y Rescate en La Guaira.
En estos momentos, Venezuela está recibiendo el apoyo de 23 países que han movilizado recursos, equipos y capacidades… pic.twitter.com/di1kaSsJEq— Gianluca Rampolla
(@Rampolla_UN) June 27, 2026
Text reads: “Together with the team of @onuvenezuela, I have traveled to the areas affected by the earthquakes and to the Search and Rescue Coordination Center in La Guaira. At the moment, Venezuela is receiving support from 23 countries that have mobilized resources, equipment, and capabilities to search for people who are still under rubble.
We are with the Venezuelans, working hand in glove with the government, the Single Authority, the military and Civil Protection to coordinate humanitarian assistance, save lives and respond to this emergency as quickly as possible. Thanks to all the countries and people who are supporting Venezuela. In a world where some conflicts are expressed by missiles and violence, there is also another world: that of solidarity activated in the darkest hours.“
Addressing public concerns and criticisms regarding the initial speed of the disaster response in the affected zones, Rampolla explained the overwhelming scale of the natural disaster. He highlighted that the simultaneous collapse of more than 10,000 buildings in La Guaira state significantly strained immediate available resources, complicating the initial phases of attention and rescue.
“We are talking about more than 10,000 buildings affected. We have, as I just said, 50 rescue teams, plus the Venezuelan Civil Protection teams. You do the math of how long it takes to reach each building“, Rampolla underscored, contextualizing the immense logistical challenge faced by all actors involved in the rescue efforts. Despite these challenges, he maintained that the primary issue was not access restriction but the sheer magnitude of the devastation.
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Una publicación compartida de teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
Regarding the official figures for fatalities and disappeared persons provided by the President of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, the UN coordinator expressed the organization’s full confidence in the reports issued through governmental channels. “We ourselves are in the crisis center, and I have total confidence that those numbers are real, and obviously, with all the limits of the fact that they are not definitive,” Rampolla affirmed.
Furthermore, the United Nations defended the principles of neutrality that govern its global operations when responding to public questioning about emergency management. The institution reiterated that joint work with the Venezuelan State structures is an indispensable condition for achieving effective access to the most vulnerable sectors and ensuring that medical supplies, food and technical support reach the affected population in a timely manner.
The UN’s steadfast presence and its explicit denial of access barriers reinforce the message of sustained humanitarian assistance and international solidarity with Venezuela during its recovery.
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