Sunday, July 19, 2026
Today, my thoughts are heavy with the scale of the disaster in Venezuela. I learned that the death toll from the late-June twin earthquakes has climbed to a devastating 5,119 people, with tens of thousands more injured or still missing under the rubble. It is hard to comprehend that kind of loss.
When I looked at the numbers, the math became painfully real. Taking the country's mid-year population estimate of 28,633,711 and subtracting those confirmed lost leaves the population at 28,628,592. It is a stark reminder that behind every demographic statistic is a human life.
I also wondered about the foreign communities living there. While the vast majority survived, hundreds of expats and dual citizens particularly from Portugal, France, and Spain are among the casualties. On a positive note, the international community is responding. More than 2,200 foreign rescuers are on the ground. I was glad to hear that India launched "Operation Amistad," flying in Indian Army medical teams and C-17 aircraft to set up field hospitals.
Thankfully, no casualties have been reported among the small Indian and Bangladeshi communities there.
It is a grim reminder of how quickly everything can change, but seeing countries step up to help brings a small glimmer of hope.