The Governing Council of the Canary Islands met this Friday in an extraordinary session to discuss the situation in Venezuela after the earthquakes and has agreed to decree three days of official mourning during which all flags will fly at half-mast, while also deciding to open medical attention centers for Canary Islanders residing in the country.
The press conference of the spokesperson for the Government of the Canary Islands, Alfonso Cabello, took place in an atmosphere of grief, as it was learned just before that among the fatalities of the earthquake was the delegate of the autonomous government in Venezuela, Isabel Jara.
For the moment, no other Canary Islanders residing in the country are known to be among the victims, although there are some among the approximately 80 Spaniards who remain missing and whose location the spokesperson vowed to find.
In its meeting, the Governing Council has approved an institutional declaration, signed by all institutions and political parties of the autonomous Parliament, in which it conveys "its deepest regret and consternation over the devastating earthquake suffered by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela" and for the lives lost, the considerable material damage, and the "immense suffering" among the population.
The Canary Islands place at the disposal of the Government of Venezuela and the Government of Spain "all the collaboration and aid that may be necessary" in the assistance and recovery efforts for the affected population.
The declaration expresses the solidarity and closeness of the Canarian people with the Venezuelan people, especially with Venezuelans residing in the Canary Islands (around 90,000) and with the large Canarian community established in Venezuela (around 55,000 people), "historically united to the archipelago by deep human, cultural, and affective ties."
As a sign of mourning and respect for the victims, the Government of the Canary Islands has agreed to declare official mourning in the autonomous community for the remainder of this Friday and for June 27, 28, and 29.
"At this moment, there is nothing else to do but for the Canary Islands to have a single voice, and for that voice to be one of support for the brotherly people of Venezuela in this difficult time they are going through," the spokesperson indicated.
Alfonso Cabello announced that the Government of the Canary Islands will set up a special healthcare service for Canary Islanders and their descendants residing in Venezuela.
During the weekend, various health centers and medical attention points will be available, the locations of which will be communicated through the media, he explained.
Regarding other aid, the spokesperson reported that in a meeting of the state coordination body for Civil Protection, autonomous communities have been advised to refrain for the moment from organizing collections of food and medicine, as supplies are being coordinated from neighboring countries of Venezuela to make their distribution faster and more effective.
Regarding financial contributions, the State's intention is for donations to be channeled through international cooperation non-governmental organizations that are already working on the ground, so specific recommendations will be issued in the coming hours to guide citizen solidarity.
The Government of Spain has requested the deployment of specialized search and rescue teams with international accreditation, but the Canary Islands do not have this specific certification, he explained.
For a second phase of the emergency, the deployment of psychologists, technical architects, and social workers has been requested, so the Canarian government has initiated contacts with professional associations and specialists.
He guaranteed that the Canarian government will act at all times in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the state Civil Protection bodies.
He praised the enormous citizen willingness to send food and medicine, but clarified that at this time such shipments are not operational and immediate distribution is being channeled from countries bordering Venezuela.
He ratified that the Canary Islands will rely on the 22 Canarian entities established in Venezuela, with which the Government maintains permanent contact.
These entities "mainly convey feelings of fear, concern, pain, and uncertainty, but have not yet communicated specific material needs," Cabello explained.
The spokesperson insisted on the importance of permanent coordination between administrations and that for now the absolute priority remains the emergency phase, led by the State Civil Protection Agency, focused on the rescue of victims and debris removal.
Canary Islands decrees three days of mourning and sets up medical clinics in Venezuela
For the moment, no more victims of Canarian residents in the country are known, although there are some among the approximately 80 Spaniards who are still missing and for whose location the spokesperson has expressed hope
