U.S. Marines and Venezuelan rescue workers conduct a joint search and rescue operation in La Guaira, Venezuela, on June 28, 2026. U.S. military forces were deployed at the direction of U.S. Southern Command to support Department of State-led disaster assistance following the June 24 earthquakes. Photo: Cpl. Daniel Garcia, U.S. Marine Corps
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July 8, 2026
More than 3,500 people are confirmed dead in Venezuela following two powerful earthquakes, but experts say the true death toll could be far higher. Here is what is happening on the ground and how Venezuela's ongoing economic and political crises are making recovery even harder.
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Hopes faded that more people will be found alive in Venezuela, several days after earthquakes slammed the country on June 24-25. The government's official death toll has risen past 3,500 people (updated since this segment added), though that is believed to be a vast undercount. By one estimate, 50,000 people remain missing, and 60,000 buildings may have collapsed across the northern coast. Stephanie Sy reports.
View the transcript of the story.
NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about? You can also make a Google doc copy of these general discussion questions.
In the News Hour segment, Venezuela's earthquake response hindered by economic and political crises, you will learn more other challenges that have made recovery efforts more difficult.
As students, you will be tasked with learning more about the different types of crises that Venezuela has been going through before this event. Pick one of the three following options, and watch the News Hour segment above:
After you are done watching the segment and conducting any additional research, discuss action steps with a partner that should be taken by the government, the international community or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help the recovery efforts. Create a list of proposed solutions and discuss as a class.
Find more resources on global politics and how they relate to your students with our free collection of preK-12 lesson plans and teaching resources.
Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
