Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, publicly thanked Bad Bunny this week for shipping humanitarian aid to the country after a pair of catastrophic earthquakes killed more than 2,590 people and left tens of thousands missing. The Puerto Rican superstar’s Venezuela earthquake aid effort delivered 42,000 pounds of essential supplies to citizens in need.
The acknowledgment came during a press conference where Rodríguez took time to recognize artists who had stepped up for the country. “I would like to thank the international artists, including Bad Bunny, who also sent humanitarian aid,” she said. According to Complex, the supplies arrived on Friday, July 3.
The aid came days after Bad Bunny paused a concert at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to address Venezuelan citizens directly.
“No matter where I am in the world, there’s always one flag I see very often, and that’s Venezuela’s,” he told the crowd during his DEBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour stop on June 28.
“Today more than ever, to our brothers and sisters in Venezuela, all of us Latinos around the world stand in solidarity with you. We send you a big hug and lots of strength,” he said. “You are a very brave and strong nation, and I know you will be able to overcome this.”
On June 24, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck near San Felipe at 6:04 p.m. local time, followed 39 seconds later by a 7.5 magnitude tremor near Yumare. Both epicenters sat in Venezuela’s Yaracuy state. The back-to-back quakes were the strongest to hit the country since 1900, and the USGS estimated at one point that the final death toll could exceed 10,000. More than 855 buildings were damaged across the country, with 189 collapsing entirely. The United Nations estimated direct physical damage at $37 billion, roughly 6% of the country’s GDP.
The United States deployed search-and-rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles County, and President Donald Trump pledged $150 million in humanitarian aid. Rescue teams from 24 countries have assisted with recovery efforts.
The Bad Bunny Venezuela earthquake aid effort joins a wave of support from Latin artists, including Nicky Jam, who flew personal supplies into the country on a private plane.
TheGrio previously reported that Bad Bunny became the first Latin artist to surpass $1 billion in career touring revenue, and his response to the Venezuela disaster shows he is using that platform for more than record-breaking music. TheGrio also covered how Bad Bunny’s Grammy acceptance speech calling out ICE drew a White House response earlier this year.
