In a coordinated emergency response ordered by President Luis Abinader, the Dominican Republic has successfully brought 65 people back from earthquake-ravaged Venezuela via a dedicated humanitarian repatriation flight, government officials confirmed this week. The operation was organized in close partnership by the nation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, known locally as MIREX, with additional support from defense authorities.
The chartered Sky High flight touched down at Las Américas International Airport carrying a diverse group of evacuees: 55 citizens of the Dominican Republic who had been stranded by the seismic disaster, nine Venezuelan nationals with close family or residential ties to the Caribbean nation, and one United States citizen who required emergency evacuation.
On hand to receive the arriving passengers was Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez, who used the occasion to restate the country’s long-standing commitment to safeguarding the well-being of Dominican citizens living or traveling abroad, as well as delivering rapid, coordinated support during unforeseen crises. Álvarez emphasized that the mission would not have been possible without seamless collaboration between MIREX and the Ministry of National Defense, noting that much of the on-the-ground coordination was managed by Opinio Díaz, Vice Minister for Consular and Migration Affairs.
Even as the first group of evacuees safely returns home, Dominican authorities have no plans to wind down their support efforts in the disaster zone. A specialized consular response team remains deployed in Venezuela to continue providing ongoing assistance, documentation support and emergency aid to Dominican nationals who have chosen to remain in the country in the wake of the recent earthquakes.