In the wake of the humanitarian crisis caused by the two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela, we at VIA are deeply grateful for our community’s immense generosity. However, for aid to be truly effective, it must be managed with rigorous responsibility.

Today, our nation faces a dual catastrophe: a complex, institutional, and structural humanitarian crisis spanning nearly three decades created by the regime, now compounded by the devastating impact of two powerful earthquakes. Tragically, the regime’s blockades on international aid, on people-to-people support initiatives on the ground, and on access to information are an inescapable part of the challenging, cruel, and difficult reality we are living through.

Faced with a widespread emergency, the regime cannot hide its inhumane nature; it not only restricts and blocks access to international rescuers and independent humanitarian aid agencies, but also stalls, confiscates, and prevents the autonomous organization of neighbors wishing to help their own communities. Simultaneously, it attempts to block international media journalists from fulfilling their duty to report objectively from the affected areas. Furthermore, the persecution of civil society solidarity on the ground is a real barrier that disrupts traditional relief and collection channels.

Our message and our insistence on considering direct aid:

• Prioritize Direct Support: Use legitimate platforms like HelpThemDirectly.org to send resources directly to organized family and neighborhood networks in affected cities, such as Caracas and La Guaira. Immediate support grants citizens on the ground the autonomy to address their survival needs, bypassing the regime’s obstacles.
• Safe Donations: Stay informed and protect your generosity from digital fraud by following the recommendations at DonarSeguro.com.
• Direct Financial Support: This is undeniably the most impactful route. It bypasses shipping bottlenecks and gives immediate agency to those on the ground. We recommend directing your monetary contributions to verified, serious platforms currently collecting direct aid, such as WeLove.foundation and GEM.org.
• Emotional Support at VIA: Our institutional response is currently focused on emotional first aid. We continue to offer free Peer Support spaces and individual sessions for the diaspora navigating this uncertainty from afar. If you wish to support the sustainability of this emotional and mental health relief, you can do so by clicking here: vianyc.org/donate.

Helping is an extraordinary human act; helping responsibly multiplies its power and protects our people.

Niurka Meléndez and Héctor Arguinzones
Co-founders