In this opinion piece, Drew Friedrich, president of the humanitarian group Operation Blessing, reflects on travelling to Venezuela after deadly earthquakes and says the experience challenged his assumptions about the country. He argues that, despite Venezuela’s political and economic troubles, the disaster response showed ordinary people acting with resilience and generosity, and that humanitarian aid should focus on victims rather than political disputes. The piece matters because it frames disaster relief as a moral issue and makes a case for separating compassion for civilians from judgments about their government.

Friedrich says he expected to encounter suspicion and dysfunction, but instead saw local people leading much of the response. He describes taxi drivers travelling 10 hours to volunteer, families who had lost their own homes helping others clear rubble, and churches distributing emergency supplies and tens of thousands of hot meals. The article sits alongside reporting that more than 2,200 people were killed in back-to-back earthquakes and that one 43-year-old security guard was rescued after eight days under the rubble. It ends with an appeal for readers to volunteer, support church efforts or donate through trusted relief organisations.