Barbados search and rescue honored for Venezuela earthquake response
Barbados’ Ambassador to Venezuela, Commander Aquinas Clarke (front row, third from left) poses with personnel from the Barbados Defence Force and the Barbados Fire Service, who received Hero of Venezuela Medals from Acting President, Delcy Rodríguez. (Barbados Defence Force)
Key Points(5)
- Members of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) and the Barbados Fire Service have been awarded Venezuela’s Hero of Venezuela Medal for their role in the humanitarian response following last month’s double earthquake disaster.
- The honour was presented by Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez to members of Barbados’ Urban Search and Rescue team, which was deployed to La Guaira, one of the areas that suffered extensive damage from the earthquakes.
- Barbados’ Ambassador to Venezuela, Commander Aquinas Clarke, announced the recognition as the team returned to Barbados on Thursday.
- “I want to thank them for their outstanding representation of Barbados and the outstanding work they did while they were here in Venezuela,” Clarke said.
- The ambassador also provided an update on Barbados’ ongoing humanitarian support, including the establishment of a BDF Field Medical Hospital in Guarenas, which is expected to become operational early next week.
Members of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) and the Barbados Fire Service have been awarded Venezuela’s Hero of Venezuela Medal for their role in the humanitarian response following last month’s double earthquake disaster.
The honor was presented by Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez to members of Barbados’ Urban Search and Rescue team, which was deployed to La Guaira, one of the areas that suffered extensive damage from the earthquakes.
Barbados’ Ambassador to Venezuela, Commander Aquinas Clarke, announced the recognition as the team returned to Barbados on Thursday.
“I want to thank them for their outstanding representation of Barbados and the outstanding work they did while they were here in Venezuela,” Clarke said.
The ambassador also provided an update on Barbados’ ongoing humanitarian support, including the establishment of a BDF Field Medical Hospital in Guarenas, which is expected to become operational early next week.
Clarke said 28 Barbadian personnel were already on the ground preparing the facility, which will provide medical services to communities affected by the disaster.
“At present, there are 28 persons from Barbados here setting up the hospital, and I suspect that by the end of today (July 10), the hospital will be set up,” he said.
He added that electricity and water services had already been installed, while Venezuelan authorities were constructing a field bathroom facility for patients.
The hospital, which is being led by Lieutenant Commander Anderson Goodridge, is expected to begin receiving patients between Monday and Wednesday once additional medical personnel arrive from Barbados.
“We expect that there will be another 46 persons coming tomorrow on a flight out of Barbados, which will comprise the doctors and nurses, and other members of the support team for the hospital,” Clarke said.
“By tomorrow night, we shall have a complement of 74 persons for the hospital here in Venezuela, out of Barbados,” he added.
Clarke said more than 5,000 people had been displaced in Guarenas, where schools, hospitals and other critical infrastructure were damaged.
He praised the BDF Chief of Staff and members of the Defence Force for their work in setting up the field hospital and encouraged healthcare professionals in Barbados to volunteer their services.
“You can deploy here for a period of two weeks. You can even deploy for a month if you have the time to assist at this critical juncture,” Clarke said.
“Venezuela has always been a friend to Barbados, and I believe that this is an opportunity for us to give back,” he added.
