According to estimates by the World Bank, the earthquakes in Venezuela at the end of June caused immediate property damage amounting to $19.6 billion.
July 23, 2026, 5:11 p.mJuly 23, 2026, 5:11 p.m
Almost half of this comes from residential buildings (47 percent), followed by infrastructure (27 percent) and non-residential buildings (26 percent), said the Washington-based institute.
The earthquake at the end of June claimed over 5,000 lives and caused billions of dollars in damage.Image: keystone
Geographically, the state of La Guaira and the Distrito Capital were hit hardest. This accounted for around half of the direct property damage.
Immediate property damage refers to the loss of property that was destroyed or damaged by a natural event such as an earthquake. Indirect follow-up costs such as production downtimes or business interruptions are not included.
On June 24, two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 shook the South American country. The number of officially confirmed deaths is now more than 5,000. 16,740 people were injured. Almost 18,000 people are said to have lost their homes in the disaster. Hundreds of buildings were damaged or completely destroyed.
Venezuela has already raised millions from the IMF
According to Executive President Delcy Rodríguez, the Venezuelan government had already withdrawn $346 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the middle of the month. The money from Venezuela’s balance with the IMF should be used for reconstruction and to support the affected families, Rodríguez said on Telegram.
Venezuela and the Washington-based International Monetary Fund officially resumed relations in April after a seven-year break. Relations were frozen after the IMF – like the USA and other countries – recognized the opposition government under Juan Guaidó as the legitimate government of Venezuela in 2019, and not that of ruler Nicolás Maduro.
Maduro was overthrown by a US military operation in January, after which the US and other countries recognized the interim government under Rodríguez and a rapprochement with the IMF followed. (sda/awp/dpa)