On the evening of 3/7 (local time), Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez visited the Vietnamese rescue team's camp, located in a coastal area of La Guaira state, about 10 km from the search site. She expressed gratitude and presented a letter of thanks to the team for their efforts.
During her visit, Ms. Delcy Rodriguez presented the Medal of Merit to the working dog team for their exceptional achievements in locating missing victims. Xukip, a border guard working dog with previous experience in rescue operations in Lang Nu, Lao Cai, accepted the medal on behalf of the team. Of the eight military dogs from the Vietnamese army, three had previously served in earthquake search and rescue missions in Turkey in 2023 and Myanmar in 2025.
The letter accompanying the award stated, "Courage knows no borders or language barriers, and the loyalty and instinct of working dogs – special companions – can overcome seemingly impossible obstacles." It highlighted that this recognition underscores international solidarity and the universal value of life during challenging times.
Vietnamese soldiers typically deploy working dogs into search areas first to pinpoint victim locations within collapsed structures. Once identified, the sites are handed over to engineers and local forces. Engineers then use sound detection equipment and ground-penetrating radar systems to precisely locate and extract victims.
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Border Guard working dogs search at the earthquake site. Photo: Rescue team provided |
The Vietnamese team arrived in Venezuela on the afternoon of 29/6 (local time) and began search operations on the morning of 30/6. In four days, they recovered 45 bodies from the collapsed structures. This mission marks Vietnam's third international rescue deployment of military and police forces since 2023, following previous aid efforts in Turkey in 2023 and Myanmar in 2025.
Venezuela, a South American nation over 17,000 km from Vietnam, was struck by twin earthquakes of magnitudes 7,2 and 7,5 on 24/6. By 21h on 30/6 (local time), the disaster had resulted in more than 1,900 fatalities, over 10,500 injuries, and approximately 15,800 displaced individuals. In response, 27 countries dispatched assistance, and 40 international rescue teams are actively engaged in recovery efforts.
Phuong Ha
