Caracas – Following the powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.1 and 7.5 that struck Venezuela on June 24, the International Italo-Latin American Organization (IILA) has stepped in to coordinate technical and institutional support. By facilitating the sharing of vital satellite imagery, the organization has played a key role in the emergency response efforts.
The initiative, which was brought to the attention of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, successfully bridged communication between key stakeholders. Specifically, it streamlined coordination between the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Italy and the Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (ABAE), granting them access to the European Commission’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service Rapid Mapping. This service is delivered by an industrial consortium led by e-GEOS, a company owned 20% by the Italian Space Agency and 80% by Telespazio (Leonardo Group).
As a result, Venezuelan emergency authorities received free access to highly detailed cartography, mapping out damage to buildings and infrastructure across a 2,500-square-kilometer area using ultra-high-resolution satellite imagery. Additionally, an interferometric analysis of satellite radar data provided a ground-motion map covering over 35,000 square kilometers of Venezuela’s central coastal region, pinpointing the areas hardest hit by the tremors.
By rapidly mobilizing this international cooperation network, IILA has delivered crucial mapping data to Venezuelan authorities, providing essential support for rescue operations, damage assessment, and risk-mitigation planning. In a statement, IILA expressed its solidarity with the Venezuelan people and reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to international scientific cooperation—harnessing space technology and Earth observation to foster resilience, disaster management, and sustainable development across Latin America and the Caribbean. (9colonne)