A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Caracas, Venezuela, on March 26, 1812, leaving 90% of the city in ruins and killing an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people. This horrific event, which occurred on Maundy Thursday, was one of the deadliest earthquakes in South American history​.

The massive seismic shock rocked northern Venezuela at 4:37 PM and caused devastation across multiple cities, including Caracas, La Guaira, Barquisimeto, San Felipe, and Mérida. Buildings collapsed instantly, trapping thousands under rubble. In Caracas, churches filled with worshippers for Holy Week services crumbled, increasing the death toll​. The earthquake’s force was so intense that in Valecillo, a new lake was formed, and the Yurubí River was blocked. Waterways across the Caracas valley changed course, flooding streets with muddy water​. Eyewitness accounts describe two massive tremors within 30 minutes. The second wave of destruction struck Mérida, where heavy rainfall added to the disaster​.

The earthquake struck during the Venezuelan War of Independence when the Spanish royalists sought to exploit the disaster to weaken the independence movement. Archbishop Narciso Coll y Prat claimed the earthquake was divine punishment for Venezuela’s rebellion against Spain. The Gazeta de Caracas suggested relocating the capital due to the widespread destruction​. However, Simón Bolívar, the revolution’s leader, rejected this interpretation. His famous response—”If Nature is against us, we shall fight Nature and make it obey”—became a rallying cry for the independence movement​.

The United States extended its first-ever international aid in the wake of the earthquake. The U.S. Congress dispatched five flour-loaded ships to Venezuela, a significant early instance of American humanitarian relief abroad​.