More than 6,000 emergency personnel from 21 institutions received national honors for rescue operations following the June 24 earthquakes.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez on Saturday honored more than 6,000 members of Venezuela’s emergency and security services for their role in rescue and lifesaving operations following the twin earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.
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The ceremony, held at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira state, brought together Interior and Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez and representatives of 21 institutions, including Civil Protection, fire departments, the Venezuelan Red Cross, the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) and volunteer rescue teams.
The government awarded the Heroes and Heroines of Venezuela and Canine Heroes of Venezuela decorations to institutional standards as well as civilian and military personnel who formed part of the 30,000-member emergency deployment coordinated under a unified command established after the earthquakes.
“What I wanted most was to place this Heroes and Heroines of Venezuela decoration on the standards of our public institutions, because you have demonstrated extraordinary strength,” Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said.
According to the government, rescue operations began within hours of the earthquakes with the creation of a unified command structure that included Major General Sulbarán, the Council of Vice Presidents and the president of the National Assembly to coordinate the initial search for survivors.
Delcy Rodríguez said the ceremony gave her the opportunity to personally recognize the work carried out by emergency personnel.
“This is the moment I had been waiting for to personally thank all of you, the 21 institutions of our security and Civil Protection agencies,” she said.
She also highlighted the work of national rescue brigades that remained in areas where, she said, some international teams considered access impossible. “I know there were places where some international brigades said it could not be done. You stayed there. You persevered for the life of a Venezuelan, of a human being. That was the spirit of being Venezuelan: never abandoning, always standing by.”
The recognition also included canine rescue units. Officer Burgo appeared alongside Luna, a rescue dog credited with locating 80 trapped people, while the rescue dog Tsunami was formally recognized as a national hero after helping locate survivors beneath collapsed structures.
La presidenta encargada de Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, llamó este sábado a transformar el despliegue de rescate en la “recuperación y reconstrucción” de las zonas afectadas por los terremotos, durante el acto de condecoración a más de 6.000 rescatistas y unidades caninas en La… pic.twitter.com/s4qY5w106N
— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) July 19, 2026
Text Reads: Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, called this Saturday to transform the rescue deployment into the “recovery and reconstruction” of the areas affected by the earthquakes, during the ceremony to decorate more than 6,000 rescuers and canine units in La Guaira. Rodríguez urged the construction of a “new ethic” of love and cooperation for Venezuelan society and recognized the officials who worked up to 72 hours without sleeping.
Acting President said many emergency workers continued rescue operations despite losing colleagues and family members during the disaster. “You lost co-workers. But you brushed off the dust and your grief and went to save more lives.”
She praised the professionalism of the 30,000 personnel deployed in the emergency response, noting that many remained on duty for more than 72 consecutive hours.
“Your uniforms are more honorable. Your uniforms carry great dignity because the work carried out together by 30,000 personnel to respond to this seismic catastrophe was performed with professionalism and at the highest level.”
Looking ahead, the acting president called on public institutions to apply the same level of coordination to the recovery and reconstruction of the affected regions. “I ask that the spirit of this historic deployment to overcome pain now become the hardworking hands of recovery and reconstruction. We will recover La Guaira. We will rebuild La Guaira, the affected areas of Caracas, Miranda, Aragua, Yaracuy, Falcón and Carabobo,” she declared.
Ceremony “Hero of Venezuela” decoration to more than 6,000 military personnel and police officers at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, in La Guaira. Photo: Venezuelan Presidential Press
Acting President added that reconstruction should extend beyond damaged infrastructure to include what she described as the rebuilding of human values. “The finest expression of that new Venezuela is found in the work you carried out despite physical exhaustion… 48, 72 hours without sleep, and you kept going.”
She also called for “a new ethic for Venezuelan society, an ethic of love, understanding and cooperation for those who need it.”
Closing the ceremony, Delcy Rodríguez urged emergency personnel to maintain their commitment during the reconstruction phase. “Let nothing stop us. Let hope rise above pain. Above emotional and physical wounds, let us rebuild ourselves as a people of brotherhood and happiness”
The ceremony concluded with a message of recognition for technical and medical teams that remain deployed across the affected regions, carrying out damage assessments and supporting the national hospital network.
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