While Venezuela is struggling to recover from a double earthquake that left more than 500 dead, the United States has announced the sending of significant humanitarian aid. According to a political analyst, this decision will allow Donald Trump to improve the image of the United States on the international scene, while serving his interests.
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Donald Trump reacted quickly to the disaster that struck Venezuela. Thursday, on his social network Truth Socialhe assured that the “United States is ready, willing and able to provide assistance.”
“I have instructed all agencies of our government to be ready to act quickly. We will be there for our new and wonderful friends,” he added.
Urban search and rescue team members prepare to board a C-17 Globemaster III military aircraft bound for Venezuela to assist in earthquake relief efforts at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, on the night of June 26, 2026.
AFP
At the same time, his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced on X that the State Department would immediately deploy rescue teams, medical equipment and humanitarian aid.
“Obviously, we are finding a new face of America which had disappeared a little,” political analyst Georges Mercier immediately commented on Friday on LCN.
The analyst and doctoral student in political science at Sciences Po Paris, Georges Mercier.
Screenshot | LCN
According to him, this gesture is part of a political context favorable to Donald Trump in Latin America, where several allied governments have recently been elected, notably in Colombia with the victory last Sunday of Abelardo de la Espriella.
“It’s clearly a form of giving back where we show yes, we can threaten you, yes, we can be coercive, but we can also be there to help you when you need help. And that’s interesting because it calls for the notion of “soft power”, the power to convince. We are trying to restore a little the image of America which had been tarnished and this is clearly the message we are sending,” explained the analyst.
He also underlines the importance of the sums announced: 150 million dollars in total, including 50 million intended for charitable organizations present on the ground and 100 million paid to a UN fund.
Members of Joint Task Force Bravo load equipment onto a CH-47 Chinook in support of relief operations in Venezuela, at Soto Cano Air Base near Comayagua, Honduras, June 25, 2026.
AFP
“And it’s been a long time since the United States collaborated with the UN,” he argued.
An investment for Trump
For Georges Mercier, American aid is not only about solidarity.
“If the Americans want to make their new capital grow in Venezuela, they need a situation that is secure, that is peaceful. So what they do is they also invest in the stability of the country to protect their own interests,” he stressed.
In Caracas, on June 25, 2026, a rescuer cuts the steel bars of a collapsed building using an angle grinder, following deadly earthquakes.
AFP
Although one does not prevent the other, the analyst welcomes the United States’ initiative.
“We can welcome with a little relief the United States which shows a more sympathetic face,” he added.
To watch the full interview, click on the video above.
