On 24 June 2026, two successive earthquakes caused widespread destruction in Venezuela and resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. ICOM’s global network expresses its deep sympathy to all those affected in Venezuela and stands firmly committed to supporting the safeguarding of cultural heritage, museums, their professionals, and collections as part of the country’s recovery.
As the situation continues to unfold, the full extent of the damage remains under assessment. Preliminary information points to significant destruction in the affected areas. ICOM is in direct contact with the ICOM National Committee in Venezuela to understand the impact the earthquakes have had on cultural heritage, museums, and the museum community.
The primary concern in the immediate aftermath of such disasters is the rescue of those injured and the protection of human life. At the same time, ICOM would also like to draw attention to the immediate risks and long-term challenges facing the safety and security of museum professionals, museum buildings and collections.
In this context, ICOM’s global network remains committed to responding to emergencies affecting museums and museum professionals, including through the provision of specialised expertise and by facilitating knowledge sharing and coordination across its network on critical topics such as evacuation, documentation and the safeguarding of collections.
This statement builds on, and brings together, the many messages of solidarity with Venezuela already shared by ICOM committees, reaffirming our collective commitment as a global network to supporting museums, their professionals and cultural heritage in the country. ICOM is deeply committed to contributing to coordinated efforts to support the emergency response for affected museums, should such assistance be requested, and to supporting the museum and cultural heritage community throughout the recovery process.