Venezuela

Caracas, October 10, 2026. Venezuelan media are covering the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Panama on Friday, October 9 at 12:56 (local time), placing it in a regional series. Efecto Cocuyo and Contrapunto recall that two earthquakes of 7.2 and 7.5 devastated La Guaira on June 24, about thirty kilometers from Caracas, and that the latest official report, dated August 24, reports at least 6,509 deaths, as well as a 7.4 earthquake in Colombia on August 10 (335 deaths according to Colombian authorities).

On the facts, El Nacional relies on Efe dispatches from Penonomé, the capital of the Coclé province: one of the two towers of the San Juan Bautista cathedral collapsed while Bishop Edgardo Cedeño and priests were inside, a side of the governance seat collapsed, and the back of the Dos Continentes hotel fell onto vehicles, whose occupants had time to get out. During Efe's report with the rescue teams, no deaths or injuries were reported. In Panama, buildings in the old banking district were evacuated, two metro lines were suspended, and classes were canceled throughout the country, according to Analitica.

The magnitudes vary from one title to another (7.2, 7.6, and then 7.7 after revision by the USGS, after initial estimates of 8.0), and the epicenter is located near Tonosí, 239 km from the capital. El Nacional and Contrapunto detail the lifting of the tsunami warning by the American system less than three hours after its issuance, for nine Pacific countries. Descifrado and Contrapunto report the temporary closure and then the resumption of operations at Tocumen airport, and Copa Airlines has reopened its flights with changes at no cost until October 31.

President José Raúl Mulino called for calm: "no se debe usar lo sucedido para generar alarmas y desorden". The Venezuelan political aspect is more marked: interim President Delcy Rodríguez wrote "¡Panamá no está sola!" offering her assistance without specifying its nature, and El Nacional recalls that the government's management after La Guaira had been deemed insufficient by Transparencia Venezuela. El Pitazo relays the solidarity message from María Corina Machado, hosted in Panama, and Contrapunto announces Marco Rubio's announcement of a mobilization of American resources at Panama's request.