Three days after the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, the death toll has climbed to at least 920, with more than 3,300 injured and tens of thousands still missing.

Rescue operations have continued since the 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck the northern shore of the country on Wednesday, with authorities saying 243 people have been saved so far.

American search and rescue teams from Virginia, California and Florida were dispatched to Venezuela on Friday, joining the effort to pull people out of collapsed buildings.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLEDGES $150M IN AID, DEPLOYS NAVY WARSHIPS AFTER DEADLY VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES

Anthony Marrone, the Los Angeles County fire chief, told The New York Times that local fire units from Los Angeles County and Fairfax County, Virginia, are the only ones in the United States trained to work abroad.

The Los Angeles County team is 73-strong and brought with them concrete-busting machines, listening devices to hear people trapped under rubble and a myriad of other equipment to aid in the ongoing humanitarian effort.

The State Department is leading the federal response to the earthquakes, according to U.S. Southern Command.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLEDGES $150M IN AID, DEPLOYS NAVY WARSHIPS AFTER DEADLY VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES

«Day or night, the [Department of War] is moving critical life-saving equipment to Venezuela,» U.S. Southern Command said in a Friday night post. The post included several pictures of a heavy construction vehicle hauling large boxes of supplies.

A heavy construction vehicle operated by the U.S. military hauls aid destined for Venezuela after the country was hit by twin earthquakes on Wednesday. (U.S. Southern Command)

Even with all the assistance coming from the United States — which has pledged $150 million to emergency aid — and international organizations, Venezuelans have reported that their government has not had a robust response to the earthquakes.

Locals told The Associated Press that they’ve seen few state rescue teams in the hardest-hit areas. According to aid agencies, the first 48 to 72 hours is the most crucial window to retrieve people alive.

DEATH TOLL FROM VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES RISES TO AT LEAST 589, WITH THOUSANDS REPORTED MISSING

On Friday night, Venezuelan authorities said they would begin blocking access to La Guaira — where the worst destruction occurred — so search teams can operate without getting hampered by citizens.

According to the AP, officials said anyone who wants to enter now will have to get permits, though they did not explain who would be eligible for one.

Rescue workers place Daniel Cordero on a stretcher after pulling him from the rubble two days after an earthquake struck Catia la Mar, Venezuela, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

This move from the state comes after locals have been taking the search for their missing loved ones into their own hands.

Nazareth Jimenez, who lives in the state of La Guaira, just north of Caracas, said she had to watch as her neighbors used hammers and power tools to try to cut through the concrete of an apartment building.

She stood by and waited to see if her siblings, nephews, nieces and friends would emerge alive.

«We’re making a call for help to the government and countries across the world,» Jimenez told the AP. «There are still people alive in there.»

The Venezuelan government, led by acting President Delcy Rodriguez, has distributed food and water to survivors in La Guaira, but residents still say it has not been enough.

Residents walks through the rubble two days after earthquakes struck Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The earthquakes pose a great challenge to Rodriguez, the former vice president whose governing coalition took shape after the United States mounted an operation that captured and deposed then-President Nicolás Maduro.

Rodriguez’s leadership will be tested during this crisis, as well as the legitimacy of her government, given that she was not elected to the presidency and has not given any timetable on when elections will be held.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Republican gubernatorial candidate is vowing to stop New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s agenda if elected in November as the state’s top leader. He warns that proposals like government-run grocery stores, tax hikes and expanded public spending would damage New York’s economy and accelerate an exodus of businesses and residents.

Bruce Blakeman is seeking to unseat Democrat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in November. Asked how he would work with Mamdani if elected, the Republican candidate rejected the premise that he would be forced to accommodate the mayor’s agenda.

«First of all, let me be clear. I don’t have to work with Zohran Mamdani. He has to work with me,» Blakeman told Fox News Digital of potential relationship if he won state house.

«When I become governor, I’m not going to let him destroy the fabric of New York City. I’m not going to let him destroy the economy of New York City, and I’m not going to let him make New York unsafe. Those are all things he’s doing right now, and I will stop him.»

NY SOCIALIST SURGE COULD PUSH DEM VOTERS TO DEFECT, GOP GOVERNOR CANDIDATE PREDICTS

The comments come as Mamdani’s political rise has fueled a broader debate over the influence of far-left policies nationwide. Three socialist candidates also won races in Tuesday’s New York primaries, adding to the attention surrounding the movement.

In New York, Mamdani has championed proposals including city-owned grocery stores, free bus service and rent freezes, drawing praise from progressives and criticism from Republicans who argue the plans would expand government at the expense of taxpayers and small businesses.

Blakeman singled out the mayor’s proposal to establish city-owned grocery stores, arguing that government should not compete with family-owned businesses.

«I don’t want to compete with bodega owners and small grocery stores in New York. Government should not be competing with the private sector,» Blakeman said. «Many of these businesses are family-owned businesses, and I don’t want to hurt them.»

FROM FREE BUSES TO CITY-OWNED GROCERY STORES, HERE ARE MAMDANI’S KEY ECONOMIC PROMISES

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference at Deno’s Wonder Wheel on Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York City, on Feb. 15, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu/Getty Images)

Blakeman called the proposal «complete nonsense» and argued taxpayers would ultimately be forced to shoulder the cost.

«Somebody’s got to pay for that,» he said. «These are hardworking people. They’ve created the business, and Zohran Mamdani wants to take it away from them because he’s a communist. He doesn’t believe in property rights. He doesn’t believe in capitalism.»

‘WASTEFUL DISTRACTION’: EXPERTS SLAM MAMDANI’S TAXPAYER-FUNDED GROCERY STORES

Blakeman said his own agenda would focus on cutting taxes, reducing utility costs and encouraging businesses to remain in New York, framing the race as a stark contrast between competing visions for the state’s economic future.

His agenda would seek to end New York’s blockade of cooperating with President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

«So on day one, as governor, I will sign an executive order that we are no longer a sanctuary state,» Blakeman said. «I will roll out the biggest middle-class tax cut in the history of New York.»

Blakeman also said single filers making $50,000 or less and joint filers making up to $100,000 would pay no state income tax on that income under his proposal. He also pledged to cut utility rates in half by ending what he called the state’s «green energy scam.»

Kathy Hochul, governor of New York, left, and Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York, during a public safety announcement at 1 Police Plaza in New York, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

«She takes money out of their payments every month to invest in science projects that cost billions of dollars,» Blakeman said of Hochul. «That ends on day one when I become governor.»

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki dismissed Blakeman’s proposals, saying, «New Yorkers know Bruce Blakeman is too busy catering to the far-right, embracing January 6 architects, and caving to Donald Trump to fight for them and their families.»

«From enabling ICE’s abuses, to raising costs, to fighting to gut Medicaid, Blakeman’s proud of being ‘MAGA all the way,’ just like Trump labelled him.»

Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

La Embajada de China en Panamá defendió el derecho de sus autoridades a inspeccionar buques con bandera panameña que arriban a puertos chinos y dejó entrever que esos controles continuarán, al sostener que forman parte de sus facultades como Estado rector de puerto y que responden a razones de seguridad marítima.

En el mismo comunicado, la representación diplomática afirmó que embarcaciones registradas en Panamá se han visto involucradas en colisiones que dejaron personas fallecidas y desaparecidas.

El pronunciamiento se conoció después de que el embajador de Estados Unidos en Panamá, Kevin Cabrera, calificara como una “mentira garrafal” la versión china de que el aumento de inspecciones no tiene relación con el fallo de la Corte Suprema que declaró inconstitucional la concesión de Panama Ports Company, filial del conglomerado hongkonés CK Hutchison.

El comunicado también llega días después del fuerte intercambio diplomático ocurrido en la Asamblea General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA), celebrada en Ciudad de Panamá, donde el representante permanente de China ante el organismo, Xie Feng, cuestionó públicamente las decisiones adoptadas por Panamá en torno a los puertos de Balboa y Cristóbal.

En su nota, la Embajada china sostuvo que las inspecciones se realizan conforme a normas internacionales y rechazó que tengan carácter político. Según la representación diplomática, las autoridades marítimas chinas tienen derecho a verificar el cumplimiento de estándares de seguridad, sanidad y operación de las embarcaciones que ingresan a sus puertos.

La Embajada afirmó además que, desde 2026, buques con bandera panameña se han visto involucrados en varias colisiones con embarcaciones mercantes o pesqueras en aguas chinas, con saldo de muertos y desaparecidos. El comunicado no detalla fechas, nombres de barcos ni investigaciones específicas que permitan identificar los casos mencionados.

El régimen chino también respondió a las declaraciones del canciller Javier Martínez-Acha, quien durante la sesión de la OEA defendió que Panamá es una democracia con separación de poderes y señaló que China tiene un sistema político distinto. La Embajada sostuvo que China también es un Estado de derecho y rechazó los señalamientos sobre su modelo político.

La Embajada de China también respondió a los cuestionamientos sobre su sistema político. En el comunicado sostuvo que “los comentarios sobre el sistema político de China carecen de fundamento” y defendió que “el socialismo con características chinas ha sido forjado por el pueblo chino”, además de afirmar que “las formas de hacer realidad la democracia son tan variadas como diversas” y que “la democracia popular en todos los procesos de China es la democracia más amplia, auténtica y eficaz”, con el respaldo de su población.

El comunicado también deslizó otra acusación contra el Gobierno del presidente José Raúl Mulino: que Panamá estaría actuando bajo la influencia de terceros. Sin mencionar directamente a Estados Unidos, la Embajada señaló que el país debe actuar conforme a sus propios intereses y no convertirse en instrumento de “una tercera parte”.

La frase aparece en un contexto de creciente respaldo público de Washington a Panamá. En su entrevista con Telemetro Reporta, Cabrera sostuvo que el incremento de inspecciones a barcos panameños fue de aproximadamente 400% después del fallo de la Corte y acusó a Beijing de intentar castigar al país por respetar una decisión judicial independiente.

“Ya no es un cuento chino, ahora es una mentira garrafal”, dijo Cabrera. El diplomático estadounidense afirmó que China combinó en la OEA el tema de los puertos con el de las inspecciones marítimas, lo que a su juicio demuestra que las acciones contra buques panameños no son casuales.

La controversia tiene como origen el fallo de la Corte Suprema de Justicia de Panamá que declaró inconstitucional la renovación de la concesión otorgada a Panama Ports Company para operar los puertos de Balboa y Cristóbal, ubicados en las entradas del Canal de Panamá.

Durante su intervención en la OEA, Xie Feng sostuvo que la decisión panameña envía una señal negativa a la inversión extranjera y pidió a Panamá corregir lo que calificó como errores, además de proteger los derechos e intereses de las empresas chinas.

Martínez-Acha respondió que el fallo fue emitido por la Corte Suprema de Justicia y que el Ejecutivo no tiene facultades para revertir una decisión judicial. También aseguró que representantes chinos le pidieron en varias ocasiones intervenir para modificar el resultado del proceso, algo que rechazó por ser incompatible con la separación de poderes.

El canciller panameño también cuestionó el incremento de inspecciones a buques nacionales en puertos chinos y afirmó que ese comportamiento no se observa en la misma proporción con enbarcaciones registradas en otros países de la región.

El nuevo comunicado de la Embajada china profundiza el choque diplomático y confirma que el desacuerdo por los puertos de Balboa y Cristóbal ya trascendió el terreno judicial y comercial para convertirse en un pulso político entre Panamá, China y Estados Unidos.

Infobae consultó al canciller panameño, Javier Martínez-Acha, sobre la tensión diplomática entre Panamá y China, pero el funcionario prefirió no hacer comentarios. Al ser preguntado sobre si el Gobierno panameño pedirá explicaciones a la representación diplomática china en el país por el contenido del comunicado, respondió únicamente que actualmente no hay embajador de Beijing en Panamá.