Following Venezuela's earthquakes and the earthquake alert system integrated into Android phones, we contacted the Ministry of Internal Affairs to find out what measures are in place to contact the population in the event of a natural disaster.
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02/07/2026
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A last week was marked by the earthquakes of Venezuela and the destruction caused especially in the northern region of the country, leading to a reflection on existing systems that can serve as an early warning for citizens.
The alert sent to mobile phone holders with Android operating system and that was developed by Google itself, also noticing in the process that such functionality is not present at the level of Apple's iPhone operating system.
This means that not all mobile phone holders have access to this alert, which led to the News to Minutes contacting Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) in order to understand the methods in place to warn the population in the case of a natural disaster as an earthquake.
In response, the MAI stated that currently the official system for contacting the population at national level “sits in massive and geolocalized sending of alert SMS”.
“ This mechanism allows automatic messages to be sent to mobile phones (including mobile equipment connected to national mobile networks by roaming) that are in areas imminent or affected by a serious accident or disaster, without any prior registration”, can be read in the reply sent to the News to Minute.
The ministry also points to local use of “complementary means” from sirens, to megaphones and even to lights.
With regard to forms of warning via the mobile phone, the MAI also recommends the installation of the Sismos app of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) – which is available free of charge in the virtual stores of Google and Apple – and which allows “see information registered by the national monitoring network”.