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The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday has risen to nearly 1,500, with foreign nationals and dual citizens among those confirmed dead or missing.
Authorities from several countries have reported casualties, while consular teams continue to follow up on missing citizens and people believed to be trapped under rubble. Consular assistance refers to support provided by embassies or foreign ministries to citizens and their families during crises abroad.
Portugal's foreign ministry said 28 people of Portuguese nationality or Portuguese descent were among the victims. It also reported 85 people missing, updating earlier figures released after the disaster.
The Portuguese figures include both citizens and descendants, a term used for people with family roots in Portugal.
Spain has confirmed at least 17 deaths among its citizens, while 150 Spaniards remain missing, according to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry said 12 Spaniards had been located under rubble in areas where rescue teams were focusing their work. In an earlier bulletin, Spanish authorities had said 14 citizens were under rubble and noted that they did not know "in what circumstances they are."
As of Jan. 1, 2026, 147,000 Spaniards were living in Venezuela, according to Spain's migration ministry.
China's state broadcaster CCTV reported that seven Chinese nationals were among the victims, citing figures from the Chinese Embassy in Caracas.
The embassy also posted a statement on its official WeChat account, calling on Chinese citizens in Venezuela to take precautions against aftershocks and other "secondary disasters."
Brazil's foreign ministry said two Brazilian citizens, a man and a woman, had died in the disaster. The ministry said the government was providing their relatives with consular assistance.
Chile's foreign ministry also reported the death of one Chilean national. The ministry said it was providing the victim's family with "assistance, guidance and support."
Italy said one Italian-Venezuelan dual national was killed when a building collapsed in La Guaira, described as the hardest-hit region. A dual national is a person who holds citizenship of two countries.
The victim was a man in his mid-50s who was born in Caracas and held both Italian and Venezuelan citizenship. Rome's foreign ministry said around 170,000 Italian passport holders live in Venezuela.
Uruguay's foreign affairs ministry said one Uruguayan citizen who had been living in Venezuela for a long time was also killed. His wife and eldest daughter died as well, the ministry added.
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