Venezuela declares 7 days of mourning for quake victims

CARACAS -- Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday declared seven days of national mourning in tribute to the victims of the powerful earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.

"In honor of the memory of the victims, I have decided to decree National Mourning for seven (7) days, starting at 6:00 pm today," Rodriguez wrote in a statement posted on social media.

She said that "in these moments of profound sadness, we embrace those who suffer from this tragedy and reaffirm our commitment to accompany and protect them."

"Venezuela's soul is torn by the human losses caused by the devastating earthquakes," Rodriguez added.

According to the latest official update, the earthquakes had caused at least 1,943 fatalities and injured more than 10,500 people by Tuesday.