Venezuela Devastated By Massive Earthquakes

6,486 Views | 74 Replies | Last: 22 min ago by Rapier108
Gaeilge
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Figure this is as good of a forum for it as any. Venezuela suffered back-to-back earthquakes today. There were multiple other earthquakes reported across the globe today as well.

Say a prayer for Venezuela as they're literally in the middle of trying to rebuild their country after the dictators they've been ruled by the last ~25 years.







Rossticus
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Aftermath videos looking pretty brutal. Apparently, we're witnessing a truly historic event.

Rossticus
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Aaaaaand, it is somehow getting worse, as these things have a tendency to do.

pacecar02
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Looks pretty bad
no sig
TyHolden
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Saying10-100k probably dead. Horrific.
I hope I did not offend anybody with this post. If I did, please come see me at my address in my profile so we can talk.
Aggie95
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Not sure how they even rebuild and get people basic necessities
File5
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Opportunity for US to come and help? Would be good to build the relationship and good will. Would love to see that as a joint effort of all Latin America but not likely. We have no money though so would ideally be driven by non-profits (with actual private donations). Horrible situation, wish them the best.
Burrus86
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Urban renewal…
AggieVictor10
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T&P
“…What?”

- Joe Biden
soggybottomboy
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Goes without saying, not a single dollar of Aid from our Government should go there
austinAG90
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File5 said:

Opportunity for US to come and help? Would be good to build the relationship and good will. Would love to see that as a joint effort of all Latin America but not likely. We have no money though so would ideally be driven by non-profits (with actual private donations). Horrible situation, wish them the best.


We can start with what was it 80million barrels of oil and growing daily ? They'll get money.
Ag with kids
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File5 said:

Opportunity for US to come and help? Would be good to build the relationship and good will. Would love to see that as a joint effort of all Latin America but not likely. We have no money though so would ideally be driven by non-profits (with actual private donations). Horrible situation, wish them the best.

Umm...

a) I hope we come to help
b) We HAVE the money
You can turn off signatures, btw
pacecar02
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what hasn't fallen will need to be torn down

So many people are gonna be displaced
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Ag with kids
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TyHolden said:

Saying10-100k probably dead. Horrific.

This is terrible
You can turn off signatures, btw
Gaeilge
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Quote:

This is bad. It was not one but a pair of massive earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela in quick succession. Magnitude 7.2 ENE of San Felipe, and then 7.5 SE of Yumare.

The USGS is estimating 10,000-100,000 fatalities, and economic damages totaling 2-20% the GDP of Venezuela, may have just occurred as a result of the twin quakes. These are not real or confirmed numbers yet, only preliminary estimates based on the earthquakes' size and location, but this very clearly may be an unthinkable catastrophe unfolding right now. We can't know for sure the full extent of the devastation, however, until more reports come in.


boulderaggie
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Thoughts and prayers for those affected. California looks to be in the crosshairs.
Rubicante
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Those wails of grief are hard to listen to.
5Amp
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Praying for Venezuela, this is horrible news and we must respond as neighbors should do.
P.H. Dexippus
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Ag with kids said:

File5 said:

Opportunity for US to come and help? Would be good to build the relationship and good will. Would love to see that as a joint effort of all Latin America but not likely. We have no money though so would ideally be driven by non-profits (with actual private donations). Horrible situation, wish them the best.

Umm...

a) I hope we come to help
b) We HAVE the money

It's called "charity"…you know, individuals and organizations giving voluntarily. Not government taking and redistributing tax dollars.
Kansas Kid
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P.H. Dexippus said:

Ag with kids said:

File5 said:

Opportunity for US to come and help? Would be good to build the relationship and good will. Would love to see that as a joint effort of all Latin America but not likely. We have no money though so would ideally be driven by non-profits (with actual private donations). Horrible situation, wish them the best.

Umm...

a) I hope we come to help
b) We HAVE the money

It's called "charity"…you know, individuals and organizations giving voluntarily. Not government taking and redistributing tax dollars.

We don't have the money and they wouldn't be taking tax dollars to help. Any additional funds for US governement expenditures comes from one place, borrowing even more money. Given we never pay our debt down, we would be paying interest on this aid for the rest of our countries future.
Ag with kids
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P.H. Dexippus said:

Ag with kids said:

File5 said:

Opportunity for US to come and help? Would be good to build the relationship and good will. Would love to see that as a joint effort of all Latin America but not likely. We have no money though so would ideally be driven by non-profits (with actual private donations). Horrible situation, wish them the best.

Umm...

a) I hope we come to help
b) We HAVE the money

It's called "charity"…you know, individuals and organizations giving voluntarily. Not government taking and redistributing tax dollars.

Charity won't solve a problem where 10-100K people are dead...at least not initially.

And since we just changed our relationship with VZ, this would also be a good way to cement our relationship with the people there.
You can turn off signatures, btw
File5
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I think Trump is going to capitalize on this first chance he gets tomorrow, too ripe to pass up. My least favorite quality of his is that he spends as much as the Democrats, albeit at least on things that I sometimes like. If he's going to do it here then it'll be worth something at least, but US taxpayers will be fleeced again. I wouldn't underestimate utility of private assistance but can't beat USG in speed and scale.

ETA he already has an hr ago. God bless those in need and those helping. Lots of VZ friends that I am sure have all been impacted this evening.


ETA2 - Looks like I was too quick to judge. Milei (Argentina), Kast (Chile) , Bukele (El Salvador) pledge aid. We'll see how many more, will hopefully be overwhelmingly positive for VZ and all involved.
YouBet
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Goodness gracious. That is awful.
P.H. Dexippus
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Ag with kids said:

P.H. Dexippus said:

Ag with kids said:

File5 said:

Opportunity for US to come and help? Would be good to build the relationship and good will. Would love to see that as a joint effort of all Latin America but not likely. We have no money though so would ideally be driven by non-profits (with actual private donations). Horrible situation, wish them the best.

Umm...

a) I hope we come to help
b) We HAVE the money

It's called "charity"…you know, individuals and organizations giving voluntarily. Not government taking and redistributing tax dollars.

Charity won't solve a problem where 10-100K people are dead...at least not initially.

And since we just changed our relationship with VZ, this would also be a good way to cement our relationship with the people there.

I've got news for you- no government on earth can "solve a problem" of dead people…only God can do that.

As for easing the suffering of the survivors, charity is and always has been the most effective means known to man. Every major natural disaster, from the Galveston Hurricane to Hurricane Harvey, Haitian earthquakes or Carolina floods, its people helping people, its neighbors helping neighbors, its church groups opening their doors and going out into their communities, its individuals donating time and resources through groups like Cajun Navy or World Food Kitchen or Doctors Without Borders. It's not some FEMA bureaucrat.
Thunder18
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Damn, that is devastating
dmart90
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soggybottomboy said:

Goes without saying, not a single dollar of Aid from our Government should go there

Great user name!
Terrible post!
P.H. Dexippus
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dmart90 said:

soggybottomboy said:

Goes without saying, not a single dollar of Aid from our Government should go there

Great user name!
Terrible post!

Feel free to give as much as you personally like, and report back here to lead by example if so inclined.
dmart90
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P.H. Dexippus said:

dmart90 said:

soggybottomboy said:

Goes without saying, not a single dollar of Aid from our Government should go there

Great user name!
Terrible post!

Feel free to give as much as you personally like, and report back here to lead by example if so inclined.

Will do and not so inclined.
But taking care of neighbors in your backyard seems like a smart thing for governments to do.
ts5641
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Venezuela's people just keep getting kicked in the nuts. Suffering from decades of leftist rule has destroyed the country. Then just as they're able to hopefully start picking themselves up from the ashes this happens.
zag213004
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In response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the United States government deployed one of the largest international humanitarian aid efforts in history, contributing over $400 million in emergency assistance and coordinating rapid military and civilian relief operations. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) led the civilian response, providing food, water, shelter, and medical aid to over 580,000 affected Indonesians, while the U.S. Department of Defense deployed naval assets like the USS Bonhomme Richard and Marine Expeditionary Units including the hospital ship uss mercy to establish logistical support and deliver supplies to remote areas in Aceh Province within 72 hours. This comprehensive intervention not only addressed immediate survival needs but also facilitated long-term reconstruction, significantly improving bilateral relations and disaster preparedness frameworks between the two nations.



https://www.usaid.gov/

Quote:

Notification of Administrative Leave
As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave globally…..

Additional guidance is forthcoming, and all future updates/notices will continue to be communicated through official USAID channels and posted on USAID.gov for those without access to USAID systems.
cheeky
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Ag with kids said:

P.H. Dexippus said:

Ag with kids said:

File5 said:

Opportunity for US to come and help? Would be good to build the relationship and good will. Would love to see that as a joint effort of all Latin America but not likely. We have no money though so would ideally be driven by non-profits (with actual private donations). Horrible situation, wish them the best.

Umm...

a) I hope we come to help
b) We HAVE the money

It's called "charity"…you know, individuals and organizations giving voluntarily. Not government taking and redistributing tax dollars.

Charity won't solve a problem where 10-100K people are dead...at least not initially.

And since we just changed our relationship with VZ, this would also be a good way to cement our relationship with the people there.


The American taxpayer cannot always be the answer to the world's calamities.
Ag with kids
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P.H. Dexippus said:

Ag with kids said:

P.H. Dexippus said:

Ag with kids said:

File5 said:

Opportunity for US to come and help? Would be good to build the relationship and good will. Would love to see that as a joint effort of all Latin America but not likely. We have no money though so would ideally be driven by non-profits (with actual private donations). Horrible situation, wish them the best.

Umm...

a) I hope we come to help
b) We HAVE the money

It's called "charity"…you know, individuals and organizations giving voluntarily. Not government taking and redistributing tax dollars.

Charity won't solve a problem where 10-100K people are dead...at least not initially.

And since we just changed our relationship with VZ, this would also be a good way to cement our relationship with the people there.

I've got news for you- no government on earth can "solve a problem" of dead people…only God can do that.

As for easing the suffering of the survivors, charity is and always has been the most effective means known to man. Every major natural disaster, from the Galveston Hurricane to Hurricane Harvey, Haitian earthquakes or Carolina floods, its people helping people, its neighbors helping neighbors, its church groups opening their doors and going out into their communities, its individuals donating time and resources through groups like Cajun Navy or World Food Kitchen or Doctors Without Borders. It's not some FEMA bureaucrat.

I agree charity is huge.

But, digging thousands of people out of the rubble is not their forte. The USG could go in and help with that and with SAR. We have those capabilities and assets. Orgs like the Red Cross don't.
You can turn off signatures, btw
Rapier108
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Your point?
"If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without blood shed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves." - Sir Winston Churchill
Gaeilge
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Personally, I think churches are the best for distribution aid in my opinion. They're not nearly as greedy with their theft.
BillYeoman
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P.H. Dexippus said:

dmart90 said:

soggybottomboy said:

Goes without saying, not a single dollar of Aid from our Government should go there

Great user name!
Terrible post!

Feel free to give as much as you personally like, and report back here to lead by example if so inclined.


Actually, over the last several months the United States has held all revenue generated via Venezuela oil sales in a trust controlled by the United States. That account is in the billions. And it was stated at the time money is for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.

Time to use that money.
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