Venezuela decorates 478 rescuers, 36 search dogs after earthquake disaster
Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodríguez on Friday honoured 478 international rescue specialists and 36 search-and-rescue dogs from 12 countries in recognition of their efforts following last week's devastating earthquakes.
The ceremony was held at the operations base established at Jorge Luis García Carneiro Stadium in La Guaira, where footage showed rescue teams gathered alongside their search dogs. Rodríguez was joined by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello for the event.
During the ceremony, Venezuela awarded the "Hero of Venezuela" and "Canine Heroes of Venezuela" decorations to international teams that participated in search and rescue operations.
Among those recognised was the Bolivian rescue delegation. Lieutenant Colonel Ibar Gálvez Lazo thanked the Venezuelan government for the honour but said the true recognition belonged to those affected by the disaster.
"As a Bolivian, part of the South American region, we feel honoured to support the people who are suffering from this natural disaster situation, such as the earthquake, and always committed to contributing and supporting the population," he told Viory.
He added that, in his view, "the ones who should be recognised are the affected people."
The honoured delegations came from Europe, Western Asia and Latin America. Teams from Jordan, the Czech Republic, Colombia, Spain and Portugal were recognised for their work with search-and-rescue dogs, while rescue personnel from Germany, Bolivia and the Dominican Republic were also honoured for assisting in the emergency response.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
