786-4368269
12 de julio de 2026
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Subject: Urgent Request for Humanitarian Protection (TPS) for Venezuelans in the United States due to the Tragedy of the June 24, 2026 Earthquakes
Dear Co-Chairs: T
he Honorable James P. McGovern
The Honorable Chris Smith
On behalf of Veppex (Venezolanos en el Exilio Político), we respectfully urge the Commission to urgently support the designation of a new Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelan citizens currently residing in the United States, in light of the severe humanitarian emergency caused by the earthquakes of June 24, 2026. The earthquakes have resulted in thousands of deaths, tens of thousands of injuries, hundreds of thousands of displaced people, and massive destruction of infrastructure across several regions of the country. The Venezuelan state’s capacity to respond to this crisis is clearly insufficient, further exacerbating the already critical humanitarian, economic, and political situation that Venezuela has faced for years. Under these circumstances, returning to Venezuela is not a safe option for thousands of Venezuelans living in the United States. Granting TPS would be a humanitarian measure consistent with the long-standing U.S. tradition of providing temporary protection in cases of natural disasters and grave crises. We formally request that the Commission:
- Publicly support the immediate redesignation of TPS for Venezuela.
- Urge the Department of Homeland Security and the White House to activate this protection.
- Include this recommendation in the report or conclusions of the hearing scheduled for July 15, 2026.
We remain available to provide any additional information or to coordinate meetings with representatives of the Venezuelan community in exile. Thank you in advance for your attention and for your historic commitment to human rights and the protection of people in vulnerable situations.
Sincerely,
Jose Antonio Colina
President of Veppex
In God We Trust