Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Public Security, Arthur Garffer, announced that the US Armed Forces are changing their assistance phase in Venezuela from 'rescue' to 'recovery', a week after the earthquakes that hit the South American nation. Over 2,200 people have died and more than 11,000 have been injured, according to Venezuelan authorities. Garffer, also a brigadier general in the National Guard, stated that the US government is controlling the deployment of personnel in coordination with the Venezuelan government.
Puerto Rico’s rescue teams, including 45 rescuers, 10 paramedics, and a specialized doctor, are still waiting for federal authorization to travel to Venezuela. The US government is handling the situation as a humanitarian effort, with the Venezuelan government making requests and the US Department of State responding accordingly. Garffer noted that Puerto Rico sent documentation on June 25 to inform about the availability of mobilization, but the government has faced criticism for the delay in deploying the rescue teams.