Turkish-backed Venezuelan K9 unit assists earthquake search and rescue efforts

- Rescuers who served in Türkiye's 2023 earthquakes say they are now applying those lessons to help communities in Venezuela

A Venezuelan K9 search and rescue unit supported by Türkiye is assisting emergency teams in the aftermath of the deadly earthquakes that struck Venezuela, drawing on experience gained during the 2023 earthquakes in southern Türkiye. The K9 Training and Disaster Response Unit has been deployed to the coastal city of La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the June 24 earthquakes, where rescuers continue searching collapsed buildings after widespread destruction. The team's uniforms bear the logo of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), while its vehicles carry the message, "From the heart of the Turkish people," as they move from one disaster site to another. Unit coordinator Marcos Sequera said the organization's primary mission is to deploy specially trained search dogs to locate survivors following disasters. "We are a volunteer organization that provides canine search and rescue services to other emergency response agencies," Sequera told Anadolu. "We brought 15 search and rescue dogs to this area, and they have done an extraordinary job." Sequera said the team's operational capacity was significantly strengthened after its deployment to Türkiye following the Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes. "As a result of our work in Türkiye and the relations between Venezuela and Türkiye, we received equipment to improve our response capacity," he said. "TIKA provided us with uniforms, helmets and two vehicles to transport our personnel and dogs." He recalled spending about 20 days in the southeastern Turkish province of Adıyaman following the devastating earthquakes. "The climate was completely different from what we are used to," Sequera said. "The heat here is overwhelming, but in Türkiye the freezing weather was a major challenge for both our team and our dogs." Although the disasters differed in scale, Sequera said the human suffering was similar. "Türkiye experienced greater destruction because of the magnitude of the earthquakes, but the tragedy was the same," he said. "Working here has reminded me every day of the Turkish people we met and were able to help during those difficult times." "We admire Turkish culture and traditions," he said. "We want to strengthen this partnership in search and rescue and disaster response." Expressing gratitude to Türkiye, Sequera thanked the Turkish people and TIKA for their continued support. "It is heartwarming to see people coming from the other side of the world to help us," he said. "It reinforces the idea that we are all brothers and sisters despite differences in language, culture and traditions." Marielvis Sanchez, another member of the unit, said the experience gained in Türkiye has proven invaluable in Venezuela. "Before Türkiye, we mainly carried out searches in mountainous and open areas," she said. "Adıyaman was our first mission involving collapsed buildings and people trapped under rubble. The experience we gained there is helping us save lives here today." Sanchez also spoke warmly of the Turkish people she met during the deployment. "We came to know the kindness and generosity of the Turkish people," she said. "When a Turk invites you for coffee, it is not simply an invitation to drink coffee. It is an invitation to friendship and to build a bond." She said the team formed lasting friendships in Türkiye and encouraged people everywhere to learn basic disaster preparedness skills that could help save lives in emergencies. According to Venezuelan authorities, 2,295 people were killed in the twin earthquakes of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude that struck the country on June 24.