The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, announced this Wednesday the declaration of seven days of national mourning for the more than 1,900 deaths due to the double earthquake of magnitude 7.5 and 7.2 on the Richter scale registered a week ago in the country.
In a message broadcast through her social networks, Rodríguez stated: "Today we accompany in pain the families who have lost their loved ones and we raise our prayers for the injured, the missing persons, and the affected communities. In homage to the memory of the victims, I have decided to decree national mourning for seven days, starting at 6:00 p.m. (local time) today."
The leader also stressed that "Venezuela's soul is torn by the human losses caused by the devastating earthquakes (...) In these moments of deep sadness, we embrace those who suffer this tragedy and reaffirm our commitment to accompany and protect them."
According to the most recent balance provided by the authorities, the earthquakes have caused at least 1,943 deaths, 10,571 injuries, and 15,866 affected families, while emergency teams and mobilized volunteers have managed to rescue 6,461 people so far.