Introduction: When Catastrophe Meets Coercion
Venezuela is reeling from a devastating natural disaster, but the scale of its suffering is being compounded by a decade of punishing U.S. economic sanctions. On June 24, 2026, twin earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck the nation, with epicenters in San Felipe, Yaracuy, west of Caracas, unleashing widespread destruction across key regions including La Guaira, Caracas, and Carabobo. As of June 27 and 28, the death toll has tragically surpassed 1,430, with over 3,238 injured and a staggering 68,900 people reported missing, a figure the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) grimly projects could escalate to over 100,000. Preliminary estimates place direct physical damage at approximately $6.7 billion.
This profound human tragedy has reignited urgent demands from progressive organizations like CODEPINK, the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), and other human rights groups to immediately and unconditionally lift all U.S. sanctions against Venezuela. As CODEPINK’s statement asserts, “Today’s catastrophe makes clear what we have long argued: when a country is deliberately weakened through economic warfare, its ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters is also weakened”. This isn’t just a natural disaster; it’s a stark illustration of how geopolitical maneuvering directly intensifies humanitarian crises, laying bare the moral bankruptcy of economic coercion.
The Current Reality
The immediate aftermath of the June 24th earthquakes has plunged Venezuela into an unprecedented emergency. Critical infrastructure has been crippled, with Maiquetía International Airport, the main air gateway, severely damaged and operations suspended, alongside closures of the Caracas metro and rail networks. This infrastructure damage poses a significant hurdle to aid delivery, even as the international community mobilizes a broad response.
Humanitarian assistance is arriving from various corners of the globe. The European Union has deployed rescue teams, medical staff, and telecommunications equipment from eight member states, allocating €52 million in humanitarian aid this year to Venezuela. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has activated emergency response mechanisms, coordinating 44 international urban search and rescue teams (USAR) from 27 countries, including the United States, providing over 2,245 specialists and 140 search dogs. Organizations such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Save the Children, UNICEF, and the Red Cross are also on the ground, delivering essential relief items, emergency medical supplies, and assessing urgent needs for children and families.
The U.S. government, under President Donald Trump, has pledged $150 million in initial humanitarian assistance and announced plans for an additional “nine-figure” aid package. Crucially, the U.S. Treasury Department issued General License No. 60 on June 25, 2026, temporarily authorizing certain transactions related to earthquake relief efforts that would otherwise be prohibited by sanctions until October 23, 2026. This limited waiver, however, comes amid a complex political backdrop, as President Trump had earlier backed the rule of acting President Delcy Rodríguez following the ousting of Nicolás Maduro in January.
A Progressive Critique
While gestures of aid are welcome, the progressive stance remains unequivocally clear: the U.S. policy of sanctions on Venezuela is not merely an unfortunate backdrop to this disaster, but a direct contributor to its severity. For years, U.S. sanctions, first imposed during the Bush administration and ramped up significantly under Obama, Trump, and Biden, have systematically dismantled Venezuela’s economic capacity, leading to what CEPR co-director Mark Weisbrot describes as “the worst depression in the history of the world, without a war, due to illegal US economic sanctions”.
These sanctions have had a devastating humanitarian toll, with experts estimating they have caused tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of deaths. They have stifled Venezuela’s ability to import essential goods, including medical supplies, equipment, and even basic construction materials like cement, critical for building and maintaining resilient infrastructure. This pre-existing debilitation meant Venezuela entered this catastrophic earthquake acutely unprepared, with overwhelmed health services and a severely deteriorated public infrastructure.
The temporary and narrowly defined lifting of some sanctions for relief efforts, while a minimal concession, highlights the inherent contradiction and cruelty of the broader policy. As CEPR Director of International Policy Alex Main pointed out, the “continued existence of these sanctions significantly discourages international economic and financial actors from expanding operations there”. Overcompliance by wary companies and banks, fearing punitive U.S. action, often leads to a harsher and broader impact than even policymakers might intend, effectively choking off channels for legitimate trade and aid.
The call from CODEPINK to ensure aid is “unconditional, strictly civilian in nature, and must never be used as a pretext for military intervention or political interference” is a crucial warning. History, particularly in places like Haiti, shows a disturbing pattern of Western powers exploiting natural disasters to deepen foreign control and impose politically conditioned aid rather than genuinely supporting self-led recovery. The Trump administration’s pledge of aid, offered to its “new and great friends” in a Venezuela where it actively intervened in January, raises legitimate concerns about political opportunism amidst a humanitarian crisis.
The Path Forward
The path forward for Venezuela, particularly in the wake of this seismic tragedy, demands a radical shift in U.S. foreign policy away from coercive economic warfare and towards genuine humanitarian cooperation and respect for sovereignty.
Firstly, the temporary lifting of sanctions is insufficient. The U.S. administration must immediately and unconditionally lift all sanctions on Venezuela and release all Venezuelan funds currently held under U.S. jurisdiction. These funds are desperately needed for immediate emergency relief, long-term reconstruction, and the sustained recovery of a nation already battling immense hardship.
Secondly, humanitarian assistance must be truly unconditional and coordinated directly with Venezuelan authorities, empowering local and national institutions to lead their own recovery efforts. This means rejecting any attempts to politicize aid or use it as leverage for political interference or military intervention. The international community, including the UN and NGOs, must ensure that aid flows directly to the most affected communities without bureaucratic obstacles or political strings.
Finally, this catastrophe should serve as a wake-up call to re-evaluate the ethical and practical efficacy of sanctions as a foreign policy tool. Economic warfare against an entire populace inevitably inflicts immense suffering, weakens a nation’s ability to withstand crises, and ultimately fails to achieve its stated political goals while violating fundamental human rights. Progressive movements must continue to advocate for a foreign policy rooted in diplomacy, mutual respect, and international solidarity, rather than one that weaponizes the economy against vulnerable populations. As CODEPINK emphasizes, “This is the time for cooperation, compassion, and respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty”. The Venezuelan people deserve nothing less than our full, unconditional support as they embark on the arduous journey of rebuilding their homes, their communities, and their future.