The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has shown his deep regret for the death of nine Spanish citizens due to the earthquakes registered last Thursday in Venezuela, and has conveyed his condolences to their loved ones through a message disseminated on social networks.
"With enormous sadness we receive the confirmation that there are already nine Spaniards deceased due to the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. I want to convey, on behalf of the Government of Spain, our deepest condolences and all our affection to their families and loved ones. Also to those who are still trying to locate their missing relatives," Sánchez stated this Sunday in a message published on his X profile.
The head of the Executive has underlined that Spain will maintain its cooperation with the Venezuelan authorities and will continue to offer all necessary consular assistance to the victims and their families "in these very difficult times."
In parallel, throughout the morning, 76 Spaniards have arrived at the Torrejón de Ardoz air base on the first repatriation flight from Venezuela. As explained by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, in an audio message sent to the media, there were 96 people in total on the plane, of which 76 are Spanish nationals.
On the same aircraft, there were also 20 other people of various nationalities, including from France, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Slovakia, Venezuela, and Argentina. 131 Spaniards remain missing, two fewer than in the previous count, and the number of compatriots located under the rubble remains at 14, on whom the rescue teams' work is focused.