Nearly 400 Volunteer Ministers have been mobilised between Caracas and La Guaira, with supplies, rescue coordination, emotional assistance and international support reaching families affected by recent natural disasters.
Brussels, Brussels, Belgium, 2nd Jul 2026 — In the wake of recent natural disasters that have struck several areas of Venezuela, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers have mounted one of their largest humanitarian operations in the country, working in coordination with the Church of Scientology International, the Church of Scientology of Caracas, the Church of Scientology of Valencia, private-sector allies, national rescue groups and international emergency teams.
The operation is running around the clock and includes humanitarian assistance, logistical coordination, emotional and spiritual support, donation management, supply distribution and support for rescue teams working in the most affected zones. According to those involved in the response, the immediate priorities have included Caracas and La Guaira, while assistance has also reached other affected areas, including Morón and Tucacas.
Rhaiza Ojeda, Director of Scientology in Venezuela, said that the response has required continuous coordination between volunteers, donors, rescue personnel and families waiting for news of loved ones.
“We have received approximately 20 tons, including clothing, shoes, food, hygiene items, medicine, utensils for children, mats, safety boots for rescuers, headlamps for rescuers, picks, shovels, brooms and many other things,” Ojeda said in remarks from the relief operation. She added that much of what had arrived had already been distributed to those in need.
Ojeda said that the humanitarian teams are also identifying continuing needs, including infant formula, milk for older children, adult diapers for elderly people, and technical support for damaged structures and affected communities. “We have received supplies, but we have distributed almost all of them,” she said. “We are mainly supporting Caracas and La Guaira, because we consider them to be the two areas of greatest risk and greatest need.”
A major component of the operation has been cooperation with the Topos rescue organisation of Mexico, an internationally known search-and-rescue organisation with extensive experience in disaster zones. With logistical backing and field coordination from Scientology Volunteer Ministers, specialised rescue personnel have been supporting evaluation, rescue and technical assistance in the areas most affected by the disaster.
The Volunteer Ministers have also helped coordinate transport and movement of specialised personnel, supplies and humanitarian aid into affected zones, including support for rescuers, medical personnel, engineers and infrastructure specialists working to save lives and restore essential services.
Venezuelan actress and humanitarian Ruddy Rodríguez, who has been assisting and communicating from the relief effort, stressed that the response is not a brief appearance but a sustained commitment to families still facing uncertainty.
“I speak as a human being, not as an actress,” Rodríguez said. “I feel that at this moment Venezuela needs hopeful information. We must not discard or close the hope of life, because there is still life.”
She added that rescue and relief teams must continue to act with urgency. “Under that rubble, under all that earth, there are still people breathing, still people asking for help,” she said. “This is the beginning. This is not something to stay for a little while and then leave.”
According to Rodríguez, at the time of her remarks there were “almost 400 Volunteer Ministers divided between Caracas and La Guaira,” with additional volunteers and support expected from other countries. She noted that Volunteer Ministers and supporters had arrived from many countries, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, the United States, Israel, Spain and others, with Mexican rescue teams also joining the effort. “Disaster unites us,” she said. “We all go to one place.”
The response has also extended beyond Latin America. European Scientologists have rallied to send assistance to Venezuela, and several volunteers from Spain have already joined the humanitarian forces on the ground, travelling to Venezuela to serve as Volunteer Ministers. Organisers said the international mobilisation reflects the broader Volunteer Ministers principle that, in the face of human suffering, practical help and human solidarity must move quickly.
In an interview with Noticias Ecovisión, Rodríguez described the emotional purpose of the relief effort as well as its logistical one.
“I think the most important thing right now, as any volunteer group, is to help strengthen, to rehabilitate hope, to rehabilitate the greatness, to truly rehabilitate all that is good and great in Venezuelans so we can keep going,” she said. “This is truly a very hard moment for all Venezuela, and I feel great pride in the love of Venezuelans for Venezuelans, and for the foreign countries that have had the opportunity to lend us their support, their rescue workers, their rescue dogs. Truly, thank you. I believe every Venezuelan feels truly grateful for that support.”
Rodríguez also emphasised that the work is open in spirit and purpose, focused on service rather than affiliation. “This is a long process. This is only beginning,” she said. “Those who want to be trained to help others, here in Valencia, and also in Caracas, we can train them so they can be Scientology Volunteer Ministers without needing to be Scientologists. There is no race here, no colour, no specific religion. We all work for one common purpose: to continue bringing well-being and helping the people of Venezuela, our people, who need it so much at this moment.”
Beyond material aid, Volunteer Ministers have been providing emotional support to survivors and to families waiting for information about missing relatives. Ojeda described lines of relatives seeking news and support near the centres of assistance.
“There is always a cordon of relatives eager to know what happened to their families,” Ojeda said. “We also attend to those groups. We look after the children. We are making sure they are well. If they are going to stay all night, we care for them, we attend to them, we give them emotional help.”
She described the work as “a crusade of humanity,” adding that Venezuelans must respond with empathy after a shock of this scale. “Right now, Venezuelans have to be truly empathetic with one another so we can support each other, stand behind each other, and get ourselves out of this shake-up we have experienced, which was very hard.”
The Scientology Volunteer Ministers programme was established by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion, and operates under the motto, “Something can be done about it.” The programme trains volunteers to provide practical assistance in times of disaster and social need, including support for individuals and families affected by loss, displacement and trauma. Volunteer Ministers have participated in relief work following earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires and other emergencies in numerous countries.
Ivan Arjona, representative of the Church of Scientology to the European Union, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the United Nations, said the Venezuelan operation illustrates the practical meaning of human dignity in a moment of crisis.
“What is taking place in Venezuela is a reminder that human rights and human dignity begin with the person in front of us,” Arjona said. “Food, water, a blanket, a trained volunteer, a rescue team that can reach a dangerous area, or a word of hope to a family waiting through the night — these are concrete expressions of human dignity. European Scientologists have not looked at this tragedy from a distance. Many are sending assistance, and volunteers from Spain have already travelled to Venezuela to stand alongside local teams and affected families. That spirit of service reflects the best of Europe’s civic tradition: responsibility, solidarity and respect for every human life.”
Arjona also thanked the International Association of Scientologists for the emergency support being provided in Venezuela, saying that the humanitarian effort demonstrates the importance of cooperation between religious communities, civil society, rescue specialists and private partners. “When public institutions, volunteers, faith-based groups, professionals and citizens work together, the response becomes faster, more humane and more effective,” he said. “In such moments, the question is not what separates people, but what can be done to help them.”
The current operation in Venezuela includes the reception, classification and distribution of food, drinking water, medicines, hygiene products, clothing, blankets, children’s supplies and safety equipment. Volunteer teams are also assisting with the organisation of centres for children and families, support for displaced communities and coordination of resources for those who have lost homes, relatives or essential belongings.
Representatives of the Volunteer Ministers said the scale of the emergency requires disciplined coordination as well as compassion. “When a tragedy of this magnitude occurs, every minute counts and every person can make a difference,” they said. “Our volunteers are working day and night to help save lives, support affected families and bring hope where it is most needed. Venezuela is showing once again that solidarity is stronger than any disaster.”
The Church of Scientology, its missions, groups and members are present throughout the European continent, where their recognition as charitable and bona fide religious communities continues to grow. Inspired by the works of L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology-supported humanitarian initiatives include drug prevention education, human rights awareness, moral education through The Way to Happiness, and Volunteer Minister service in times of need. Across Europe and internationally, these activities reflect a continuing commitment to education, prevention and community betterment.
Media Contact
Organization: European Office Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights
Contact Person: Ivan Arjona
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scientology@europeanaffairs.eu
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