Summary
This bulletin has been prepared based on information provided by the National Customs Administration and IMPACCT members. A second bulletin will be published as soon as updated information becomes available.
Content
VENEZUELA
Seismic Activity – June 2026
Bulletin No. 1
Customs
Procedures Date: June 28, 2026
This bulletin has been prepared based on information provided by the National Customs Authority and IMPACCT members. A second bulletin will be published as soon as updated information becomes available.
COUNTRY
PROFILE Two consecutive earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, occurring just 40 seconds apart and followed by more than 1,300 aftershocks, were recorded on June 24, 2026, within the country’s territory. The earthquakes had their epicenter off the north-central coast and primarily affected the states of La Guaira, Carabobo, and Yaracuy, with impacts also felt in other regions of the country.
The seismic events caused numerous fatalities, left thousands of people injured, and resulted in significant damage to public and private infrastructure, including homes, health care facilities, educational institutions, and transportation networks. They also caused disruptions in the provision of essential public services, such as electricity, drinking water, telecommunications, and health care.
DECLARATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY
By Decree No. 5,364 of June 24, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela No. 7,039, the Acting President of the Republic, Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez, declared a State of Emergency throughout the national territory in order to deploy the technical, human, financial, and material resources necessary to address the effects caused by the seismic events.
Thus, Article 6 authorizes the Ministry of Popular Power for Internal Relations, Justice, and Peace, through the National Directorate of Civil Protection and Disaster Management (DNPCAD), to enact exceptional measures to ensure the provision of basic services and the restoration of affected infrastructure, as well as to requisition goods and services essential for meeting the needs of the affected population.
This decree constitutes the legal framework for the adoption of special measures regarding the entry of humanitarian aid during the state of emergency.
CUSTOMS PROCEDURES FOR HUMANITARIAN AID: AUTHORIZATION BY THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
All imports of humanitarian aid and donations made in the context of the emergency require authorization from the Venezuelan government, specifically from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This authorization covers the exemption or permission for the entry of humanitarian aid and donations.
Once approved, customs authorities are notified so they may proceed to allow their entry.
Tariff classification helps identify the requirements applicable to the goods intended for import. However, in situations of national emergency, the State typically adopts—as was done during the COVID-19 pandemic—special measures to expedite customs clearing of essential goods, humanitarian aid, and donations, including the temporary exemption or relaxation of certain permits, licenses, or procedures.
As for telecommunications equipment, its importation is currently suspended by CONATEL (National Telecommunications Commission). However, if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues an express authorization, the equipment may still be imported.
Given the circumstances, it is believed that authorizations are being processed quickly. The point of contact is Coromoto Godoy Madrid, Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Trade.
The list of authorized customs agents in Venezuela is administered by the National Integrated Customs and Tax Administration Service (SENIAT).
SIDUNEAWorld is operating normally. For humanitarian shipments, it is recommended to use the “Urgent Shipments” feature in SIDUNEA. This involves a specific declaration form in the system, which must be processed by an authorized local customs broker.
AIRPORTS OPERATIONAL FOR LOADING
Santiago Mariño (Margarita Island)
Puerto Ordaz
Barcelona
Valencia
Barquisimeto
Maracaibo
San Antonio del Táchira
Josefa Camejo (Falcón State)
Maturín
Caracas Airport (Charallave)
Simón Bolívar International Airport (Maiquetía): Closed to commercial flights.
The customs offices in La Guaira and Maiquetía are not operational.
Telecommunications and Satellite Connectivity (Starlink / VSAT)
On June 26, 2026, CONATEL granted Movistar Venezuela (Telefónica Venezolana) a temporary spectrum authorization to launch a Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite service in La Guaira State.
This service:
- uses Starlink satellites to send SMS messages directly to compatible LTE mobile phones;
- is geographically limited to La Guaira state;
- is free for Movistar customers in the area;
- must be shared with other operators (Digitel and Movilnet), who may use the same capacity for their users.
This is a temporary emergency measure (in some cases reported as a pilot program lasting up to three months) intended to restore basic communications in areas where terrestrial networks have been severely damaged by the earthquakes.
However, this agreement does not provide for official changes to import procedures or to the customs regime applicable to telecommunications equipment.
The procedures for registration and local coordination with CONATEL regarding the use of terminals have not yet been clearly defined.
Ratification of Conventions by the Government of Venezuela
—Annex J-5 of the Revised Kyoto Convention: Not ratified
—Annex B.9 of the Istanbul Convention: Not ratified
—Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunications Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations: Ratified on May 13, 2005 (with a reservation regarding Article 11, paragraph 3)
SIDUNEA user: Yes
CONTACT: Virginie BOHL – IMPACCT Coordinator – impacct.2021@gmail.com