President Luis Abinader made the decision after a conversation with Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, in which he expressed his solidarity and offered to provide humanitarian assistance during this emergency
SANTO DOMINGO.– The Dominican Republic on Thursday arranged for the deployment of a specialized search and rescue team specializing in collapsed structures (USAR) from the Specialized Corps for Emergency and Disaster Mitigation (Cemed) to Venezuela, as part of Operation Quisqueya Solidaria 2026, a humanitarian initiative created to provide support to the Venezuelan people after the devastating earthquake that affected that nation.
According to the Presidency, the decision was made after President Luis Abinader spoke with the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, to whom he expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims and with the entire Venezuelan people, reiterating the country's willingness to provide humanitarian assistance in this time of emergency.
The contingent, which departed in the early hours of Thursday, is comprised of specialists trained and certified in search, location, and rescue operations for people trapped in collapsed structures, as well as in initial emergency response. The personnel are equipped with modern technical and logistical equipment that will allow them to immediately integrate into operations coordinated by Venezuelan authorities.
The mission will be carried out by the Specialized Emergency and Disaster Mitigation Corps (Cemed), an organization created by Law No. 28-24 with the mission of developing non-combat military operations aimed at mitigating emergencies, managing risk and providing humanitarian assistance both in the national territory and in international scenarios.
The Dominican Republic maintains close coordination with Venezuelan authorities to ensure the safe and timely development of this mission, reaffirming its commitment to the principles of solidarity, international cooperation and humanitarian aid that characterize the foreign policy of the Dominican State.
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