Shakira is urging more world leaders to support Venezuela’s recovery after the country’s devastating June 24 earthquakes. The Colombian superstar released a new video on Instagram Monday (June 13), backing Global Citizen’s FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund campaign and calling on France and Germany to step up.
In the clip, Shakira also thanks Portugal’s Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney for contributing to the fund, which is directing aid toward education recovery in Venezuela and beyond.
“Over 430 schools were destroyed when two earthquakes struck Venezuela, leaving thousands of children without a place to return when schools open in September,” she said in her video post. “Venezuela desperately needs funding to rebuild schools, to train teachers and to buy books and supplies for students. But Venezuela, you’re not alone. Portugal’s Minister Montenegro and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney have stepped up to donate to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund campaign, which is awarding grants directly to educational organizations in Venezuela and all over the world.
The “Dai Dai” singer continued, “We are so grateful for their support, but we need more countries to step up now. President Macron of France and Chancellor Merkel of Germany, it’s your turn as big football nations to step up and donate to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund to ensure children in Venezuela and all over the world can learn to read and write, to do simple math and to learn the foundations they need to build a brighter future for themselves.”
Per a press release shared with Billboard, $500,000 from the fund will go to organizations supporting children whose schooling was disrupted by the disaster, as the broader campaign aims to raise $100 million tied to the legacy of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Two earthquakes — magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 — struck western Venezuela near Caracas, causing widespread destruction in the capital and the hard-hit coastal state of La Guaira, according to CNN. As of July 12, the death toll had risen to 4,490, with 16,740 injured, 6,462 people rescued and 17,907 left homeless, according to Reuters.
Shakira is among a growing group of global voices backing the campaign. Charlie Puth, Marcus Samuelsson, Danny Ocean, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi have also appeared in newly released videos urging football fans around the world to rally behind the effort.
Visit Global Citizen’s website to take action, and watch Shakira’s video message below:
