Thirty-seven Trinidad and Tobago nationals, including members of the Trinidad and Tobago Table Tennis Association, have returned home after being in Venezuela when the country was struck by a powerful double earthquake on June 24.

The Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs said the nationals’ return was facilitated through the intervention of Minister Sean Sobers, with assistance from the Trinidad and Tobago Embassy in Caracas, led by Chargé d’Affaires Dayne-Marc Chin Slick.

The ministry expressed thanks to Hover Tours and the management and staff of Rutaca Airlines for their support in helping to bring the nationals home.

The group arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on June 28, as Venezuela continues recovery efforts following the earthquakes, which caused widespread destruction across affected areas.

The earthquakes, measuring 7.5 and 7.2 in magnitude, impacted several parts of the country, with La Guaira among the hardest-hit regions. The coastal state, located north of Caracas, is home to one of Venezuela’s main ports and the country’s primary international airport at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía.

Recovery operations have continued as authorities work to account for those affected by the disaster.

Venezuela’s former President Nicolás Maduro also expressed solidarity with those impacted in a message shared on social media, which he said was written while he was in custody in the United States.

“Cilia and I lift our prayers for those who have died, for the injured, for the missing, for their families, and for all those who continue fighting, minute by minute, to save lives,” Maduro wrote.

Maduro also offered words of support for families and emergency responders involved in the ongoing response efforts as Venezuela continues to deal with the aftermath of the earthquakes.