According to Civil Protection, the Portuguese team specializes in search and rescue in collapsed structures and the members of the team have “a lot of experience” in earthquake scenarios.
“Despite being a highly complex and difficult scenario, we believe that the force we are going to send, due to its experience in other theaters of operations and its technical capacity, gives a lot of confidence in the work it will carry out in Venezuela”, the second national emergency and civil protection commander, José Ribeiro, told Lusa.
The official highlighted that it is only known that the team members are going on a military flight provided by the Air Force, but “there is still no time or place of departure”.
The second command highlighted that these professionals have “a lot of experience in other theaters of operations of this type of event”, having already participated in previous support missions to countries affected by earthquakes.
The Portuguese mission is integrated into the European Civil Protection Mechanism, despite leaving Portugal on an exclusive flight and some European Union countries having already arrived in Venezuela.
“The Venezuelan authorities requested support from the European Civil Protection Mechanism, asking for search and rescue teams in collapsed structures and Portugal immediately began preparing a joint force,” he stated.
Regarding the scenario that the team will encounter, José Ribeiro stated that it will be “one of catastrophe” and of a country that simultaneously suffered two earthquakes that “very severely affected a set of infrastructures, both buildings and all supporting infrastructures”, namely energy, data and water supply networks.
According to the second commander of ANEPC, this scenario “is an additional factor of greater complexity in managing the operation”.
José Ribeiro expressed hope that the Portuguese team could still find survivors, taking into account “the experience and history” in other countries with similar devastation.
The person in charge explained what the Portuguese team will do immediately when they arrive in Venezuela: “Set up an operations base, planning that is already underway. Talk to the local authorities who are responsible for managing the operation to receive relevant information and be assigned places to work.”
José Ribeiro also said that the Portuguese will “privilege coordination” with local authorities, European Civil Protection Mechanisms and the United Nations, while on the ground “they will carry out the usual tasks of reconnaissance of the sector, search operations and locating survivors”.
He also said that the planning made for the duration of the Portuguese mission was 10 days and two more in reserve, which was also what was done by the international forces on the ground.
