In the wake of devastating recent earthquakes that shook Venezuela, the Dominican Republic has marked another milestone in its cross-border humanitarian response, bringing home 62 additional people from the crisis-hit nation, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) confirmed in an official statement this week. This latest repatriation movement pushes the total number of people brought back to Dominican territory under the ongoing Operation Quisqueya Solidaria 2026 to 171, showcasing the government’s sustained commitment to supporting its citizens abroad amid regional disaster.
The chartered humanitarian flight, organized through close inter-agency coordination by MIREX and operated by low-cost Caribbean carrier Arajet, carried a diverse group of returnees: 50 Dominican nationals who had been stranded in Venezuela after the earthquakes disrupted transportation and infrastructure, alongside 12 Venezuelan family members of Dominican citizens. Also on the incoming flight were the Dominican Republic’s elite USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) team, which had been deployed to support earthquake rescue operations in Venezuela, and MIREX staff who had been on the ground assisting Dominican citizens seeking to exit the disaster zone.
Top Dominican government officials, including Vice President Raquel Peña, were present at Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo to formally welcome the arriving group, underscoring the priority the administration places on the safe return of its citizens.
Beyond repatriation efforts, the outbound leg of the flight delivered critical emergency humanitarian aid supplies to Venezuelan communities impacted by the earthquakes. It also transported a 40-member medical mission led by Dominican Public Health Minister Víctor Atallah, who will oversee the deployment of a fully functional mobile field hospital to provide free emergency healthcare to affected populations in Venezuela.
In its closing statement, MIREX reaffirmed that the government will maintain its coordinated support systems for Dominican citizens still remaining in Venezuela who wish to return home. The agency also noted that the Dominican Republic will continue its targeted humanitarian cooperation to support Venezuela’s ongoing earthquake recovery and reconstruction efforts in the coming weeks.