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World leaders and Venezuelan celebrities reacted Thursday with messages of solidarity and offers of assistance after two powerful earthquakes<\/a><\/span> shook the South American nation, killing at least 164 people, injuring more than 1,000 and trapping many beneath collapsed buildings.<\/p>\n Wednesday evening\u2019s 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela<\/a><\/span> in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region.<\/p>\n Venezuelan officials were trying to make the most of the daylight hours to speed up efforts to rescue people believed to remain trapped under the rubble.<\/p>\n Here are some of the reactions from world leaders and celebrities to the earthquakes in Venezuela.<\/p>\n \u201cThe United States extends our deepest condolences to the people of Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes,\u201d U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a><\/span> said on the social platform X.<\/p>\n \u201cAmerica stands with the Venezuelan people during this difficult time and at the direction of President Trump, the State Department is immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.\u201d<\/p>\n U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement that Venezuela will need \u201call hands on deck\u201d from the international community to deal with the aftermath of the earthquakes.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m in close contact with our team in Caracas to ensure a full and urgent response, including search and rescue support and emergency relief for survivors. International solidarity coming in,\u201d Fletcher said.<\/p>\n French President Emmanuel Macron<\/a><\/span> took to social platform X to express France\u2019s solidarity with the Venezuelan people and said that a team of 85 French rescue workers specializing in search and clearance operations is \u201cbeing deployed immediately\u201d to Venezuela.<\/p>\n \u201cFrance stands ready, alongside its European partners, to provide assistance to the affected populations in response to the needs identified by the Venezuelan authorities,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n The 1996 Miss Universe Alicia Machado<\/a><\/span>, who was born in Maracay, is using her Instagram account to give visibility to distressed Venezuelans and linking them to an initiative named Global Empowerment Mission for aid.<\/p>\n \u201cVenezuela needs us united more than ever! We are waiting for you here,\u201d Machado said in an Instagram post. \u201cOur reconnaissance and emergency response team is deploying immediately and is expected to be on the ground by Friday to assess needs, coordinate with local partners, and begin response operations. Please keep the people of Venezuela in your thoughts during this challenging time.\u201d<\/p>\n Emmy Award-winning actor Edgar Ram\u00edrez<\/a><\/span>, a native of San Cristobal who has appeared in several movies and TV series in the U.S., posted more than 20 messages on his Instagram account by Thursday morning showing people who had disappeared after the earthquakes. He also shared an image of the Venezuelan flag that Oscar-winning actor Jamie Lee Curtis<\/a><\/span> had posted.<\/p>\nUS State Secretary Marco Rubio<\/h2>\n
UN emergency relief chief Tom Fletcher<\/h2>\n
French President Emmanuel Macron<\/h2>\n
Venezuelan actor-model Alicia Machado<\/h2>\n
Actor \u00c9dgar Ram\u00edrez<\/h2>\n