Venezuela Conducts Nationwide Emergency Drills Amid Earthquake Concerns
Venezuela carried out a comprehensive nationwide emergency exercise on September 27, 2025, simulating 411 scenarios that included natural disasters and armed conflict. The drills were mandated by President Nicolás Maduro following a series of earthquakes in the country’s western region and what the government characterizes as a U.S. military threat in the Caribbean, reports 24brussels.
Interior and Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello indicated that the simulations encompassed a wide range of situations such as “floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, heat waves, fires, landslides, military attacks, social unrest, mass poisoning, solid waste fires, technological events, hazardous materials, and biological contamination.”
Cabello emphasized that citizen participation was voluntary, with individuals trained in emergency organization and response. The exercises involved procedures for evacuation, injury treatment, and search-and-rescue operations.
Official reports stated that 11,767 personnel from various state agencies, including police and members of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), were engaged as monitors. These simulations were executed across numerous venues including residential complexes, government offices, transport systems, public enterprises, schools, and hospitals nationwide.
The minister noted that this initiative is part of a broader readiness plan initiated in August in response to what he terms “imperialist aggression,” alluding specifically to perceived threats from the United States. He claimed that tensions have escalated recently due to U.S. military activities in the Caribbean.
President Maduro announced the emergency drills just days after authorities documented 10 earthquakes and 21 aftershocks in the western part of the country, heightening the sense of urgency regarding public safety and preparedness.