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Operation Fundamental Response

Two weeks of unrelenting rain led to flash flooding in northern Venezuela and on 16 December 19999, the Government of Venezuela (GOV) declared a State of Emergency for seven states (Zulia, Falcon, Yaracuy, Nueva Esparta, Carabobo, Tachira, and Miranda) and the Federal District of Caracas. Many roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed, and flooding and landslides isolated many communities. In addition, national and international airports serving Caracas are closed to commercial flights. According to US Embassy reports cleanup operations began in many areas within the Caracas metropolitan area, although some main avenues remain covered in mud. Vargas, an administrative department within the Federal District, is considered the hardest-hit. The Caracas-La Guaira highway was closed to all but humanitarian vehicles, and the coastal roads were almost completely destroyed. Civil Defense Minister Salazar initially reported a total of 16,000 dead, in addition to 94,000 homeless and 130,000 evacuated. The Government of Venezuela estimated 150,000 people have been affected, although reports by other organizations ranged up to 300,000 affected. By 27 December official estimates reported a possible death toll of up to 30,000; up to 400,000 people homeless, and 140,000 internally displaced.

Two C-130s arrived December 21 with a Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit (ROWPU), 727 hygiene kits, blankets, chlorine and iodine tablets, and other supplies. Two additional Department of Defense (DoD) helicopters arrived December 21 to supplement the efforts of the eight DoD helicopters already in country. On December 24, 1999, President Clinton authorized the DoD to draw down $20 million to assist relief operations in Venezuela.

Sources and Methods

• DoD News Briefing Tuesday, December 21, 1999 -- General Wilhelm, the commander in chief of our Southern Command, noted that the estimates go between 7,000 and 20,000. He thinks it will be somewhere in between. To put this into perspective, last year Hurricane Mitch struck four countries in Central America. There was massive disruption, destruction and loss of life, but the loss of life was in the range of about 10,000.
• Airmen, soldiers rush to support Venezuela flood victims Joint Task Force-Bravo Public Affairs 22 Dec 1999 -- More than 50 soldiers and airmen from Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras are in Venezuela supporting disaster relief efforts after massive flooding.
• Defense Department spokesman Kenneth Bacon December 23, 1999 - The name of our operation to help the Venezuelans deal with the tragedy caused by the flooding is Fundamental Response,
• U.S. military aids in Venezuela flood relief (Army News Service, Dec. 23, 1999) - Soldiers assigned to 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C., and soldiers from 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky., are among nearly 100 U.S. troops delivering supplies and providing rescue assistance to flood and mudslide survivors in Venezuela.
• DoD News Briefing Tuesday, January 11, 2000 -- Over the weekend Secretary Cohen signed an order to deploy two ships carrying engineering equipment and personnel to help clear roads destroyed by the flooding in Venezuela. Today the USS Tortuga, which is LSD-46, has departed from Norfolk. It will go to Morehead City, North Carolina, and pick up engineering equipment and take it down to Venezuela. Tomorrow the U.S.S. Nashville, which is LPD-13, will do the same thing.
• DoD News Briefing Thursday, January 13, 2000 -- The president of Venezuela has expressed angst that the U.S. is sending aid down there and the party, the USS Tortuga. And the message is they are not going to allow the ship to land and they don't want U.S. troops.