The Pope expresses his solidarity after the earthquakes in Venezuela; the EU releases emergency aid.

Pope Leo XIII expressed his solidarity on Sunday with the Venezuelan people, who have been struck by the aftermath of two earthquakes earlier in the week. Before the Angelus prayer, he offered a message of support to the victims and their families, describing a situation marked by numerous deaths and injuries.

Speaking in Spanish, the Pope said he wanted to express his "closeness" to the people affected by the disaster. He also thanked the rescue teams and all those mobilized to help the victims since the earthquakes.

Known for having spent several decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru, a Spanish-speaking country, the Pope is also planning an important tour of Latin America in November, which should take him to Peru, Argentina and Uruguay in particular.

At the same time, the European Union announced the mobilization of €5 million in emergency aid for affected communities in Venezuela. This announcement was made by the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, via a message posted on the social media platform X.

According to her, this assistance is accompanied by the activation of the European Civil Protection Mechanism, enabling the rapid deployment of search and rescue teams, firefighters, and medical personnel from several member states. The objective is to strengthen intervention capabilities on the ground in the most affected areas.

Venezuela's interim vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was informed of this mobilization during a meeting with European officials. Furthermore, the European Union's Copernicus satellite system is contributing to damage assessments in order to best direct aid to the most affected areas.