In the wake of deadly seismic activity in neighboring Venezuela, the Dominican Republic’s National Office for Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie) has issued a renewed urgent call for sustained investment and action around earthquake preparedness across the country. The recent tremors that rocked Venezuela, which left multiple fatalities and widespread destruction of public and private infrastructure, have served as a stark reminder of the persistent seismic risk faced by the Caribbean region, and highlighted critical gaps the Dominican Republic must address to protect its population.
Onesvie officials emphasized that ongoing, systematic assessment of the nation’s critical infrastructure — including healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and all public government buildings — remains one of the country’s top public safety priorities. The agency has reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to rolling out a multi-pronged strategy to boost national resilience, including mandatory structural safety inspections for at-risk buildings, hands-on training programs for emergency response teams and community leaders, and large-scale public awareness campaigns designed to educate Dominican residents on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from major seismic events.
Alongside its domestic call to action, Onesvie also issued a formal statement of solidarity with the Venezuelan people, who have borne the brunt of the recent quakes’ destructive impact. The agency expressed its deepest condolences for the lives lost to the disaster, and extended full support to Venezuelan public authorities and local emergency response teams as they work to clear rubble, provide aid to displaced communities, and advance long-term recovery and reconstruction efforts across affected regions.