NEW YORK, June 29. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is awaiting trial in a US jail, has sent Bible verses to express solidarity with his nation in a post on social media, CNN reported.
"Cilia (Flores, Maduro’s wife - TASS) and I lift our prayers for those who have died, for the injured, for the missing, for their families, and for all those who continue fighting, minute by minute, to save lives," the television channel quoted the jailed politician as posting on Sunday.
Maduro also quoted from the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, namely the verse: "‘When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?’ And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.’"
Two earthquakes struck Venezuela late on June 24. Within about 40 seconds, two series of tremors of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 were recorded. Their epicenters were located 10 km apart in the state of Yaracuy.
The final death toll from the pair of earthquakes, already viewed as the country’s most devastating, is expected to reach tens of thousands, Globovision journalist Juan Barreto said last weekend. "Official bulletins put the death toll at 1,430, but they are constantly being updated," he said.
Multiple buildings were damaged in the earthquakes, and Caracas International Airport in Maiquetia was forced to halt operations, while Caracas Metro and railway services were suspended.
On January 3, US President Donald Trump announced a military operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by American forces. On January 5, the couple appeared before the US Federal Court for the Southern District of New York, where they face charges of alleged involvement in drug trafficking. Both have pleaded not guilty. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president on January 6.