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Back-to-Back Quakes in Venezuela Kill over 160, Collapse Buildings; Rubio: Expert Level Technical Talks with Iran Start June 30; Air Conditioning Now France's Hottest Political Debate; Trump Can Restart Controversial Asylum Policy; Republican Party Infighting. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired June 25, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to the second hour of the show. I'm Eleni Giokos live in Abu Dhabi.
In Venezuela, a desperate race against time to find survivors after the worst earthquake there in more than 100 years. We start with some powerful
new video I want to show you. But this is a disturbing video. So ...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS (voice-over): It is horrifying. The scenes showing the impact of those two major earthquakes that hit Venezuela north of the country, just
seconds apart. The second quake was twice as powerful as the first.
This is livestream footage that captured the moment a house collapsed on the outskirts of Caracas. At least 164 people have been killed but that
number is likely to rise.
Search teams worked through the night to try to find survivors. These images give you an idea of the scale of the destruction in the state of La
Guaira, which has been declared a disaster zone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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DELCY RODRIGUEZ, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (through translator): I must inform that the state most affected by this unprecedented seismic event is
La Guaira. Dozens of buildings have collapsed and we are currently engaged in an arduous rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to
save.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Mary Triny Mena is in Caracas with the latest on the rescue efforts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY TRINY MENA, CNN PRODUCER: Daylight in Caracas and I want to show you one of the places most affected here in the capital of Venezuela, Los Palos
Grandes. Behind me, there was a building at 14 floor building that collapsed completely here. All the authorities have been working tirelessly
throughout the night to trying to find some survivors here in this area, located in the east of Caracas.
They are working along with the service rescues and services providers and also with neighbors from the community that are helping in this work that
they are taking place today. Just a few minutes ago, the president In- charge of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, updated the number of people that
have died during these events, 164 people.
I want to show you this building that is a twin building of the one that collapsed with the similar characteristic. This is still standing alongside
of the one that collapsed here in Los Palos Grandes, Caracas. So far authorities have informed that 164 people died in this area and the most
affected is La Guaira State, where it was declared national tragedy.
Classes are suspended but right now, what we are knowing is that the government is looking for resources, especially economic resources, to
battle, overcome this situation. These two massive earthquakes that hit Venezuela on Wednesday. Mary Triny Mena for CNN, Caracas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Venezuela faces a massive humanitarian challenge right now. And importantly, has been for quite some time. This exacerbating the reality
there. We've got Loyce Pace, who's regional director for the Americas at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. She
joins us now from Panama.
It's great to have you with us. You know, seeing these dramatic images of the buildings that have collapsed, we know that there are rescue operations
on the go right now.
What are your teams on the ground telling you in terms of the dire need at this moment?
LOYCE PACE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY, OFFICE OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: Well, first off, I'm really grateful for the
reporting here. It truly is devastating. It's important that we're getting the word and images out about what has happened on the ground.
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And I'm hearing from our teams just what your reporters are telling you, right?
Everything is just really in disarray. It's really incredible the damage that's being witnessed. We had teams out fanning out across the various
parts of greater Caracas overnight and came back to say, look, this is worse than we could have imagined. It's the worst thing we've ever seen.
And the Red Cross has been in Venezuela for over 100 years. There are also team members who are directly affected. I have to acknowledge they've lost
their homes. The Venezuelan Red Cross headquarters actually is not necessarily habitable right now.
And so they are also displaced but still continuing their work alongside government authorities.
GIOKOS: Yes, I mean, it's absolutely terrifying to see, you know, what people experienced in those moments. Look, Venezuela's health care system
was already under severe strain before this earthquake.
Can it sustain the impacts of this reality now?
I mean, in terms of the numbers, we were reading, 971 people have been injured.
PACE: Yes, I think it can. So the Red Cross runs its own hospitals and clinics that are also fully operational. We are getting reports from the
Pan American Health Organization about other hospitals and services being affected. So it's our hope that we can somehow transition people to these
other facilities.
We also have these emergency response units related to health care and health services being procured by the Venezuelan Red Cross, currently from
across our Red Cross network around the world. And so we're hoping that will also help provide complementary or additional support.
But you're right, it's truly devastating. And there will be more that we literally uncover, right? Right now, the focus is search and rescue and
save all the people that we can because we know there are people under this rubble.
And it's great that we are finding people still. It's our hope that we will continue to find them but they will need all the physical and emotional
support that we can provide in the immediate aftermath of this tragedy.
GIOKOS: Yes, yes. I mean, there's also this major concern about aftershocks with already compromised buildings because of the two
earthquakes. But here's the reality as well.
You know, you've already got an economy that was under severe strain in terms of resources. We know that there's communication issues right now.
Give me a sense of how you're dealing with these challenges on the ground.
PACE: Yes, these are all great questions. I really appreciate it. So last night we were in touch with our team, as quickly as possible. But like you
said, the comms were down. We have phones set up and other communication tactics or technologies in place for this very situation.
So we've been able to keep abreast of events with our staff and volunteers there. But it is a concern of ours, as you mentioned, that the
infrastructure will not be able to withstand the weight of all of this.
And frankly, the Venezuelan Red Cross was already responding to this essentially protracted crisis in Venezuela, right. it's one of the reasons,
though, we were ready and they were ready.
So we had pre-positioned various supplies, whether they were hygiene kits or medical devices or technologies that would be helpful in the event of
needing to provide a surge in care or a surge in support. So we're able to draw from some of those, especially now that the airport is still closed.
And we're not just starting from zero, which is really important to keep in mind.
Also, we've had people on the ground, right?
And these volunteers, they're incredible. They really are. And they immediately responded and they've been working nonstop to try and be
helpful in this moment. So even in the absence of everything that we need, there is still some baseline of support alongside the government, which I
think has been helpfully responsive as well.
GIOKOS: Yes. Look, a lot of countries say they're going to be offering aid and support. It is a race against time. That is the reality. You mentioned
the airport being closed, causing other issues.
What do you need right now urgently, to ensure that you, you know, try and make up for lost time as there's still rescue operations underway?
PACE: Honestly, this kind of reporting, this kind of attention on the issue is really helpful to people understand what we're dealing with.
And also so that we can help the community, help the public understand what's happening, what resources are available, whether there are shelters,
what they need to do if they feel an aftershock and how they can protect themselves and otherwise to just be aware of this being a very long road.
But speaking of that long road, resources go a long way. We already have unlocked 2 million Swiss francs from the International Federation to
immediately deploy for the purposes of this immediate response.
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But we know that there's going to be more that's required. We're really grateful for the governments who have reached out to us for the various
parts of our Red Cross network, who have raised their hands to send funding, to send personnel.
So I think that is going to increasingly be helpful. I know that the Venezuelan Red Cross also has launched a local campaign so that they
receive that support as well. But that information and communication, as well as funding or other technical support, is absolutely what we require.
GIOKOS: Yes, yes. I mean, it's a lot. You know, heavy equipment to move some of that rubble there. So I mean, the list is enormous, Loyce, and we
appreciate your time. We wish you and your teams on the ground all the best. Thank you.
PACE: Thank you very much.
GIOKOS: Right. Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez says U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio expressed solidarity and support for
Venezuela in a phone call in Bahrain. Earlier, Rubio said the U.S. is deploying search and rescue teams along with medical and humanitarian aid.
Alayna Treene spoke to me last hour with new details on the White House response.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: We did hear from the president himself, Eleni. He posted on social media arguing that
the United States stands ready and willing and able to help. I want to read you some of what he wrote.
He said the two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of
deaths. As I mentioned, he said the USA stands ready, willing and able to help. I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move
quickly.
We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good from the president. Now we did also hear, as you mentioned, Eleni, from
the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who is currently in the Middle East. He said he has been in touch with Venezuela's Interim President Delcy
Rodriguez and that the United States has deployed search and rescue teams to help and aid them. I want you to listen to what he told reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We were already deploying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia and Los Angeles. There'll be
some others we'll add. That's their most immediate need right now is search and rescue efforts. They have a bunch of collapsed buildings and so
they'll need a lot of help in terms of digging through that.
The airport there is badly damaged, so we'll have to rely on the Department of War to deploy assets there. And then we're also helping them with some
overhead imagery, especially in coastal areas where they don't have full visibility over what the damage has been and what the impact has been.
Those are the acute, like short-term needs over the next 48 to 72 hours, because in search and rescue, you're trying to get to people while you can
still save their lives. They're buried under rubble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: -- Eleni, what we also heard from the Secretary of State was that multiple countries have also offered to help. He said that includes Qatar,
El Salvador and Chile. And one thing I think is worth mentioning here is that these massive and devastating earthquakes in Venezuela are really
going to be a key test of the president's willingness to kind of revert back to, you know, what we've seen traditionally from the U.S. in these
types of crises, which is to offer foreign aid.
He's really moved away from that during his second term in office. Obviously, he got rid of USAID has made other similar moves of that nature,
but Venezuela, of course, is in a very difficult time, not only, of course, because of this catastrophe but also after what happened with the United
States going in and capturing their Former President, Maduro.
It really has moved away from its former sponsors and allies like China and Russia and so it's going to need United States help to get through this,
and this is also something I think you know we've heard from some people arguing that there is some transactional gain to be had here.
Venezuelans are eager to see that the U.S. is going to actually be the allies that the president has promised in his rhetoric. And I think there's
a lot of American companies and people here within the Trump Administration as well, Eleni, that want to show that they are willing to live up to their
word on this.
So as of now, though, as you've heard from the president, the secretary of state, it does seem like they are ready to send aid and help in all means.
necessary.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Alayna Treene there for us.
Well, the latest disaster is a fresh blow to a country that was already struggling with multiple crises. Years of political turmoil and
hyperinflation have left a Venezuelan economy on its knees.
Earlier this year, the U.N.'s aid office said 7.9 million people need urgent humanitarian help. Another report back in January said nearly one in
five children in Venezuela go to bed hungry.
Even before the quakes, people were leaving the country in staggering numbers. Nearly 8 million people have emigrated since 2014 and they
continue to leave at a rate of about 2,000 people per day. That is according to the U.N. Refugee Agency. And this earthquake will only drive
that exodus higher.
Our coverage of the disaster in Venezuela continues this hour. We will have an update on the recovery operation later on CONNECT THE WORLD and what
America's top diplomat is saying to Gulf allies to try to ease their concerns about the U.S. memorandum of understanding with Iran.
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GIOKOS: U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio says the Strait of Hormuz does not belong to any nation state. Rubio spoke in Bahrain on the final leg of
his three-nation tour of Gulf allies, aimed at easing concerns about the U.S-Iran agreement to end the war.
He says the U.S. will not agree to any deal that allows Iran to impose tolls in the strait. Here's more of what he told a meeting of the Gulf
Cooperation Council.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: But also to reassure everyone publicly that the United States, while committed to this process, wants to
make, will make sure that none of the agreements that are made, none of the things that are agreed to, will in any way be counter to the interest of
any of the nations represented here today.
Because you are our partners and our allies and we want that to continue. And partners and allies don't undermine one another.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Jeremy Diamond joins us now with more.
Rubio wrapping up this trip here in the Gulf, really trying to reassure Gulf allies that whatever is in the MOU, the framework, over the next 60
days will not be counter to any interests of partners and allies. So give me a sense of how this messaging has gone down, Jeremy, over the last few
days.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, listen, these are countries that Marco Rubio visited that took on the brunt of Iran's
response to a war that they were not involved in and did not -- were not consulted about.
And ultimately faced the brunt of Iran's drones and missiles as a result of a war that the United States and Israel started. And so those countries
have remained very closely allied with the United States, have continued to provide, you know, the locations for U.S. bases in the region.
The United States has also provided a lot of support to those countries to defend them against those incoming drones and missiles. And so this seems
like a trip that's designed to kind of shore up the support of those countries, to reassure them about the emerging agreement between the United
States and Iran.
And as the secretary of state, to assure them that any future steps will not, quote, "undermine" the security of those regional allies and that the
U.S. is not going to do anything to, you know, undermine that relationship and is going to try and ensure that this remains a long-term security
partnership.
Particularly as Iran has effectively sought to splinter off those countries unsuccessfully so far from their relationship with the United States. We've
also learned from the secretary of state that these negotiations are going to hit their next steps between the United States and Iran.
[10:20:00]
Beginning on June 30th, just five days from now, working level discussions with experts on various topics to try and advance this deal toward the
final deal that ultimately is meant to take place between the United States and Iran over the course of the next 60 days.
But even as work begins now toward that finalized deal, we are already seeing the number of roadblocks that have emerged with this, you know,
current deal between the U.S. and Iran as Iran continues to deny certain things that the United States says the Iranians promised them.
Including, for example, full inspections with IAEA and American inspectors of Iranian nuclear sites. The Iranians are continuing to push back on those
reports. The secretary of state, to that, saying that Iran has committed to that and they must follow through with it. So we'll see where that goes.
And, of course, in the background of all of this, we have continued to watch as the conflict in Lebanon has continued to pose potential problems
for this agreement. We've seen negotiations happening in Washington between the Israelis and the Lebanese. Not a ton of progress, frankly, on that
front.
But Marco Rubio, once again reiterating the fact that the Lebanese military must start to take security control of areas in southern Lebanon. That is
the only way he sees for the Israeli military to ultimately withdraw from those areas.
GIOKOS: Yes. Look, a lot of work that needs to be done, you know, as the clock ticks in terms of completing that 60-day window. But look, while I
have you, there's been a new U.N. commission inquiry that found Israel is deliberately targeting children in the Gaza Strip.
Give me a sense of what is entailed in the report and also how Israel has responded to the findings.
DIAMOND: Well, first of all, it's important to note that this is an independent U.N. Commission of inquiry. It does not represent the views of
the United Nations overall but it is a commission of experts who have spent a lot of time looking into Israeli military practices and intentions inside
of Gaza as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
And what this commission has found is that Israeli military operations, even after the October 2025 ceasefire, have, quote, "continued to cause
unprecedented death, injury and trauma" to Palestinian children.
And as a result of that, this commission is saying that Israel is continuing, in its view, to commit the crime of genocide against
Palestinians by deliberately targeting children in the Gaza Strip.
They also accused Israel of carrying out a slew of other war crimes, both in Gaza and in the West Bank. Now the Israeli government has repeatedly
denied the charge of genocide that has been leveled against it.
And we've seen a very ferocious response from Israel's foreign ministry, which has called this commission of inquiry report a, quote, "propaganda
piece" as outrageous as its previous one.
Other senior Israeli officials calling this a blood libel disguised as a U.N. document, denying these charges. But this commission of inquiry is
saying that Israel has deliberately targeted children in Gaza, both before the October 2025 ceasefire and since then, as well.
GIOKOS: All right. Jeremy Diamond, thanks so much for bringing us up to speed on those stories.
Well, today is the 10th day of Muharrem in the Islamic calendar known as the Day of Ashura. It is a major day of mourning, commemorating the killing
of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
In Iran, it is the first Ashura since the death of the former supreme leader, ayatollah Khamenei. Thousands of people gathered in Tehran for
mourning ceremonies. The day is marked by Shia communities across the world, including in Lebanon, where people marched through neighborhoods
devastated by months of Israeli air strikes.
And you can follow developments here in the Gulf on CNN Digital. A story that we've got up right now by international diplomatic editor Nic
Robertson, examining why president Donald Trump's Gulf allies fear his Iran agreement is a disastrous turning point for the region.
And why, according to one Middle East analyst, they believe a bad deal is still preferable to war.
France, Spain and the U.K. are all setting new records as a powerful heat dome continues to intensify across Europe. The U.K. broke its June
temperature record for the second straight day. It hit 36.4 degrees Celsius in a town in southern England.
In Paris, temperatures climbed above 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, only the fourth time in 150 years. The French capital has reached that mark as
France endures the extreme heat.
A growing debate is emerging over whether the country should expand access to air conditioning to prevent heat related deaths and protect vulnerable
populations.
[10:25:00]
CNN's Saskya Vandoorne reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: France is arguing over something many people wouldn't think twice about: air conditioning. A.C. is it a
given across much of Europe, which is currently sweltering through a heat wave.
Here in France, many schools, hospitals and homes don't have it and that's become the focus of a fierce debate. Is it a central protection against
extreme heat or an indulgence the planet cannot afford?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I don't need it because I'm young and I can survive this kind of event. It's not a big deal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a solution. It's going to help people feel good but it's not going to help the environment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think it's a good thing for planets.
VANDOORNE: With France battling record temperatures and parts of the country grinding to a halt, now the debate on how to stay cool is heating
up too. Turning air conditioning into a political issue ahead of next year's presidential election.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has promised a massive nationwide air conditioning plan if elected. She argues the French shouldn't have to
suffer through increasingly intense heat waves.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): But her rival on the far left, Jean-Luc Melenchon says installing A.C. everywhere would only make the problem worse by
increasing energy consumption and emissions.
VANDOORNE: Le Pen's plan also sparked outrage among the center-left climate-focused marines, who say the A.C. heats up the air outside and
France should adapt differently by renovating buildings to improve insulation and planting more trees.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): But as temperatures climb, more French people are looking for relief, with some even sleeping outside. Fans and portable
cooling units are flying off the shelves with long lines forming outside Paris stores.
VANDOORNE: And despite the debate, air conditioning has become more common, with the share of homes equipped with A.C. nearly doubling between
2016 and 2020 according to the country's Ecological Transition Agency -- Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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GIOKOS (voice-over): Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me. Eleni Giokos. Here are your headlines.
The scale of the destruction from two back-to-back earthquakes which hit Venezuela's northern coast yesterday is becoming clearer. A rescue effort
continued into the day. At least 164 people have been killed but that number is likely to rise sharply. The U.S., the E.U., China and several
other countries are offering rescue and humanitarian support.
France, Spain and the U.K. are all breaking heat records as a powerful heat dome tightens its grip on Europe.
[10:30:00]
Forecasters warn the disastrous and dangerous heat is far from over. Along with records broken in France, a record high for June was just reached in
England for the second day running.
U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio says the U.S. will not agree to any deal that allows Iran to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio spoke
in Bahrain on the final leg of his three-nation tour of Gulf allies, aimed at easing concerns about the U.S.-Iran agreement to end the war. He says
the strait does not belong to any nation state.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued more rulings today as it nears the end of its term. In one of the more notable ones, the court ruled president Donald
Trump can revive a controversial policy that aims to curb the number of migrants that officials at the southern border must process.
The 6-3 ruling is a major win for the president, as he looks to employ as many tools as possible to carry out his sprawling immigration agenda. I
also want to bring in constitutional law expert David Schultz. He's a distinguished professor at Hamline University in the department of
political science, environmental and legal studies.
So great to have you with us. I just want to go through another decision that came through where the Supreme Court is allowing president Trump to
end temporary immigration protections for both Haitians and Syrians. Take me through that decision and how they came to -- essentially that decision
that came through today.
DAVID SCHULTZ, DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL AND LEGAL STUDIES, HAMLINE UNIVERSITY: Sure. OK.
So temporary protected status was created by Congress several decades ago to allow individuals who are fearing a variety of, let's say, political or
whatever political or violence in the country to come to the United States.
And what the -- and what happened in this case here is individuals from both Haiti and from Syria were applying for this. The Trump administration
basically ends this temporary protected status and says that, you know, we're no longer going to allow you to, you know, to apply for the status
here.
Individuals from Haiti and from Syria challenged it, claiming that the president lacked the authority to do this, that they were entitled to a
hearing and also argued that the decision to target them was based upon constitutional, equal protection grounds.
What the court said today is that individuals have no -- these individuals have no right under the law to be able to challenge their -- the
termination of temporary protected status. So they lose on that, arguing that there's no administrative relief they have.
And with that, also, the court says, we think it's likely you're going to lose on the argument regarding equal protection. To summarize it really
simply here, again, the Trump administration has a big win today in terms of immigration.
GIOKOS: Yes. OK. So just take me through what it means for Haitians and Syrians currently in the United States. We're talking about millions of
people here.
Could they face deportation?
SCHULTZ: Yes. Yes, they potentially could face deportation.
Now, could they face what we call mass deportation in the sense of -- I'm going to call it kind of just rounding them up and excluding them?
No, there's still going to have to be, as I read this hearing here, read this decision here, there're still going to have to be deportation
hearings. But their status here is now, legally, questionable at this point under this ruling.
And they do face, even though some of them may have been here two or three decades, they do face potential deportation. Now granted, this only affects
these two individuals from these two countries. It's possible that this decision has broader and wider applications. But again, for now, it's
confined to those from Syria and from Haiti.
GIOKOS: Yes. And as you say, the Supreme Court ruling on two major cases, it's a big win for president Trump. The other one is that president Trump
can revive that controversial policy that aims to curb the number of migrants that officials process at the southern border. Take me through
that.
SCHULTZ: Right. Correct. Also in that decision, basically what the court seemed to be saying in this -- also with the 6-3 decision here -- is that
individuals who, who are still who are still in Mexico in this case but who are being interrogated by American officials on the U.S. side are not
entitled to either apply for asylum.
[10:35:00]
And U.S. officials are not required to actually inspect them. Again, a 6-3 decision. And what it does also is to basically affirm the Trump policy
that says that these individuals who are seeking asylum are forced to actually do it from outside the United States.
But if they do it from outside the United States, there's no requirement for the United States to actually inspect them, admit them into the United
States.
Also notable to point out here that the court says that even though there are some international conventions that address the status of refugees, the
court says that we don't believe that that law is applicable here. So again, two decisions today, which I think strongly affirm the -- Trump's
border policies, immigration policies.
GIOKOS: Yes.
So then how is that going to be implemented?
Because under immigration law, the government normally has to process a migrant who shows up at a port of entry fleeing political, racial,
religious persecution in their home country. You know, in terms of limiting how many people to process, give me a sense of implementation here.
SCHULTZ: Well, in terms of the implementation that we're going to see here, I mean, this is going to be really kind of interesting again in terms
of how they're going to process this.
Again, the court doesn't give us a lot of detail here in terms of the actual implementation, in terms of the processing. Again, it's mostly at
this point about the presidential authority, less about, let's say, the details of the implementation.
GIOKOS: All right. David Schultz, thank you so very much for taking the time to speak with us today. Much appreciated.
Well, back to our top story. Venezuela is under a state of emergency after it was rocked by those powerful earthquakes less than a minute apart. The
country's acting president says at least 30 aftershocks followed.
Rescuers are continuing to dig through the rubble in search of survivors. One woman describes the chaotic moments after the quakes hit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA ANEZ, EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR: I leaned out onto the balcony screaming, we're trapped. We need help. Please, someone come. We didn't realize there
were two aftershocks back-to-back. We thought it had lasted a minute, maybe a minute.5 but it felt endless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Stefano Pozzebon has more detail for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not one but two earthquakes shaking Venezuela in a matter of seconds, killing well over 100
people and injuring around 1,000 more. Authorities say dozens of buildings collapsed in the capital, Caracas, less than 200 miles from the epicenter.
The first quake measured magnitude 7.2, striking just after 6 pm on Wednesday. Less than a minute later, an even stronger 7.5 tremor.
Authorities say more than 30 aftershocks were reported. Interim president Delcy Rodriguez declaring a state of emergency while survivors are still in
shock.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I am 59 years old and I felt the earthquake very strongly. Inside my house, the glasses, the plates,
everything fell. We believe it was quite strong because it shook for a long time. You could see the water in the hotel pools sloshing out and there is
a lot of debris in the streets and many people outside.
POZZEBON (voice-over): In the areas hit the hardest, entire buildings reduced to piles of concrete and twisted metal. Rescue teams working
through the night. The search for people trapped in the rubble, never ceasing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA ALEJANDRA, EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR: I was here when I managed to get dressed. He helped me and all the walls were cracked. We managed to open
the door however we could.
There was a cloud of smoke that wouldn't let us see and when we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie. We had to climb over the
rubble and everything. The building superintendent with a baby and all the neighbors coming down but from that building, I only saw that one family
got out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON (voice-over): Officials warned the death toll could rise as first responders reach areas still cut off by the damage, while international aid
is starting to reach Venezuela to provide help for one of the deadliest natural tragedies here in this century -- Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota,
Colombia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: All right. Joining us now is my colleague, Isa Soares, with the latest on the earthquakes and the aftermath, the impact.
[10:40:00]
It's really good to see you. Terrifying images out of northern parts of Venezuela. You've been speaking to people.
What are they telling you?
All right, Isa, we can't hear you.
All right, we're going to go to a very short break and we'll come back to you. Stay with CNN.
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GIOKOS: Welcome back.
In Washington, the Great American State Fair is now underway as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration. President Donald Trump headlined
Wednesday's kickoff event and used the opportunity as a celebratory campaign for both the U.S. and his administration. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Just like those patriots of 1776, over the past 17 months, we have taken power back from the far off political class. They're trying to gain
it back but it's not going to happen. We have reclaimed our sovereignty, regained our liberty, restored our prosperity and we have saved our
country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: So you'll recall a number of musical performers backed out of the event, saying they were uneasy about being part of something that appeared
political.
All right, we've got CNN's Stephen Collinson, joining us now from Washington.
Stephen, always good to see you. So pomp, ceremony, all that jazz.
What's the message that president Trump is trying to send here?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think Trump is using these 250th anniversary celebrations that will culminate in July 4th to try
to pivot away from the Iran war and the costs of that war, once again creating his conceit that America is entering into a golden age.
I think a lot of people will not be happy to hear himself compare himself to the founders, who, of course, broke away from the British empire. Many
of them believe that he is the one that's showing anti-Democratic tendencies and behaves something like a king.
I think there's been a lot of complaints, not just on the Left, that Trump --
(AUDIO GAP)
COLLINSON: -- these 250th commemorations a celebration of himself and a politicized event rather than embracing all of the people in the United
States.
And I think that controversy is going to continue and ramp up or, although, if you look at what we've seen from Trump across two terms, which he often
makes everything about himself, I don't think it's particularly surprising.
GIOKOS: On that note, look, there's cracks that have been emerging within the GOP. So I want you to tell me a little bit more about the divide
between specifically senator Bill Cassidy and president Trump.
[10:45:00]
COLLINSON: Yes, that was a massive shouting match yesterday between Cassidy and Trump in a lunch on Capitol Hill about the Iran war.
Cassidy was confronted by the president after he voted to withdraw some of Trump's war powers in a non-binding vote in the Senate. And Cassidy turned
around and said to the president, well, you didn't explain to the American people why you went to war. Now you want more than $80 billion to finance
it and that's not going to work.
These two have a real history. Cassidy voted to convict Trump in his second Senate impeachment trial after the January 6th riot in 2021 after the first
term. Trump therefore tried to get revenge and successfully did so against Cassidy, a Louisiana senator.
He backed a rival in the primary election, who won. And so Cassidy is being forced to retire at the midterm elections. So you can see there's a great
deal of angst between the two of them. And I think that spilled out in the meeting.
And Cassidy is not alone. There's a handful of Republican senators now who are beginning to break with the president, because he consistently tries to
force them to follow his policies, even if they disagree with them or they are, in fact, very unpopular.
GIOKOS: Yes. Yes. Really interesting. I mean, we've seen some staunch Trump allies shifting away. I mean, one notable character and, you know,
very high profile person is Tucker Carlson. He says no longer supports the Republican Party.
How does that contrast with today's display of unity?
COLLINSON: Well, I think you're right that there are cracks opening up in the GOP. Carlson, a former FOX News host, used to have massive ratings. Now
he does his show on social media. He represents part of the Trump base.
There's an interesting conversation that's detailed in this new book, "Regime Change," by two "The New York Times" reporters, Maggie Haberman and
Jonathan Swan, which came out yesterday. That is very early in the term.
And Carlson is telling Trump that if he listens to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and goes to war with Iran, he will be betraying a
substantial portion of his base who supported him in 2016 and 2024, precisely because he promised not to wage any more foreign wars.
So I think Trump's base is under pressure at this point. However, with 2.5 years to go in his term, it's not clear that Trump necessarily cares all
that much about pulling that base together. And he has said openly -- and I think it's partially true -- that a lot of Trump's most loyal supporters
will go exactly where Trump leads them.
And I think that's what we saw in that rally on the National Mall last night. It was full of MAGA supporters who were hanging on the president's
every word.
GIOKOS: OK. Two major decisions by the Supreme Court today. And basically, you know, major wins for president Trump in terms of limiting the amount of
people that people can process at the southern border.
And then also, taking away those deportation protections specifically for Haitians and Syrians. Take me through how important these decisions are
ultimately for Trump.
COLLINSON: Well, when Trump gets into political trouble, he often goes back to the issue which really helped him, caught fire way back in 2015
when he first launched his campaign, and that is immigration. That is an issue that is still very popular.
His enforcement, his crackdowns, his securing of the southern border, not just with his most core supporters but also helped him win the election in
2024 because it was perceived that President Biden didn't do enough to secure the southern border.
So when the Republican Supreme Court -- well, it's a Supreme Court but it's dominated by conservatives, some of whom were appointed by Trump --
delivers him these victories, it really allows him to consolidate his support and return to that issue.
There are a number of other key Supreme Court rulings which could go against Trump. He has been constrained to some extent in some areas, by the
court. But I think this shows just how important it was for Democrats, from their perspective, to win the elections in 2016.
And subsequently, because the Republican -- the conservatives have this unassailable, 6-3 majority in the Supreme Court, which holds for most key
cases. And that means that even when Trump is no longer in office, the principles which he advanced on, issues like immigration.
[10:50:00]
And the environment and cutting down regulations on business and civil rights, they are going to be under threat for many years to come.
GIOKOS: All right. Stephen Collinson, thank you so very much. Good to see you.
We're going to a short break. And when we come back, Venezuela has been rocked by the most powerful earthquake there in a century. We'll have the
latest on that story. Stay with CNN.
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GIOKOS: Rescuers are hard at work in Venezuela trying to reach victims of the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in more than a century. Two
major quakes struck on Wednesday evening. More than a dozen smaller ones were recorded in the hours after that.
The U.S. Geological Survey says it will almost certainly be further aftershocks, some of them measuring magnitude 5 or higher. And we're seeing
these images of just the aftermath and the scale of the impact of these earthquakes. We've got CNN's Isa Soares with the latest.
Isa, good to see you. You've been speaking to people inside Venezuela.
What are they telling you?
As we are currently just looking on, watching these devastating images of the rescue operations still on the go.
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: It is truly devastating. What we're seeing, especially given what we have seen in the last year and what
a year it has been politically, economically, as you well know as well, Eleni, for Venezuela.
I've been on the phone pretty much all morning, speaking to some of my friends, people, of course, covering Venezuela on the ground. Many of these
people have become my friends over the years.
For many hours this morning, Eleni, I have to say, I couldn't get through to many people and I was very worried because the great majority of them
are in Caracas now. I have been able -- comms seem to be picking up. I have been able to get through to all of them.
Luckily the majority of them are well. I know one person has died. Not a close friend but a friend, a family friend of theirs. They are shaken. They
are absolutely shaken to the core. This was across seven states, as you know, in Caracas. It was on a national holiday in Venezuela.
And people are so scared they don't know what to do. They have been sleeping on the streets. They have been sleeping in their cars. They are
scared to even -- those who can't, who are on the streets, some of them are scared to sleep even because, of course, they're not sure if there're going
to be aftershocks.
They do not know what else to do, given, of course, what the -- what we've seen overnight and the impact of these.
One little girl spoke to one good friend of mine. She was crying. She. She was -- she didn't understand what was happening, holding on to her father.
I mean, I can tell you one message that I've translated for a friend of mine, Cleveland.
Cleveland, who I've known for many years, he said, you run and you fall. You fall from the walls and you try to get out the building quickly. It is
so distressing, something you wouldn't wish anyone to experience. You think you're going to die. That's what comes to mind, that you're going to die.
And he earlier on, he said to me in these voice messages via WhatsApp, saying, this is something out of a movie. Imagine seeing a movie. That's
exactly what we are going through.
He has confirmed to me that authorities have stopped gas to a lot of homes, of course, because for security issues. But people are shaken to the very
core and trying to process this, of course, given the year that they've had so far, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yes, I mean, I'm just seeing honestly, it's just hair-raising to see some of these images.
[10:55:00]
And then, you know, the rubble that rescuers have to work through. But also, importantly, knowing that this is just compounding an already dire
situation for so many Venezuelans. I mean, the numbers are staggering -- 70 -- 7.5 million people in need of humanitarian aid before this.
What are you hearing in terms of actual assistance on the ground?
Isa.
SOARES: This is interesting because I was having a conversation with a colleague of mine here and I'm intrigued. I'm trying to push more clarity
on this because, as you know, Delcy Rodriguez, the interim president, has declared a state of emergency.
What is not clear to me, Eleni, right now is the sanctions. There are sanctions in place, U.S. sanctions in place, although some have been lifted
on the likes of Delcy Rodriguez. But you have sanctions in place on Venezuela.
Will that be lifted?
On the question of humanitarian aid, I'm not sure. So I'm trying to get clarity on that. But clearly a desperate situation given what we have seen.
They've lived through political rupture, as you know, since January the 3rd with, of course, the capture of Nicolas Maduro, who is now in a jail in New
York.
But prior to that, as you well know, it was the economy right on its knees after years, of course, of being mismanaged by Nicolas Maduro. And Delcy
Rodriguez is now in charge.
And then we've seen millions of people who've had to emigrate, given those economic conditions, those political conditions. So it is a really tough
challenge.
I think the task now is, Eleni, is how much of a handle does Delcy Rodriguez have on this?
Not only Delcy, by the way but also how much is the government of president Trump going to help out here?
He says he will. We've heard from secretary Rubio. Be interesting to see what that looks like.
GIOKOS: Yes. All right. Isa, we've run out of time. Thank you so much for that update.
That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
END
