The quakes, which had magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, hit an area west of the capital Caracas, and could be felt as far away as Bogota, Colombia.
Venezuela was celebrating a national holiday, and many people were at home when the quakes struck at 18:04 local time (23:04 BST).
Buildings are without power, and the metro system is completely closed as rescuers search through the rubble for survivors.
