International
The Legislature of the City of Buenos Aires declares Nicolás Maduro persona “non grata”
The Legislature of the City of Buenos Aires, the legislative body of the Argentine capital, approved a resolution that declares “persona non grata” to the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. This is “because of the serious human rights violations against Venezuelan citizens in their country.”
The resolution, which was promoted by legislators Claudio Romero and Emmanuel Ferrario, of the conservative Republican Proposal (Pro), was processed “at the request of the Venezuelan diaspora in Argentina.” Likewise, it counted on the vote in favor of the majority of the members of the chamber, according to a statement from the institution, made up of sixty deputies.
However, the legislators of the Left Front abstained and the Union for the Homeland (kirchnerist) legislators voted against.
“In the City of Buenos Aires we are not going to tolerate dictators, people who come to violate human rights, people who make atrocities in their country in the name of a revolution that does not exist, people who use torture as a method of government,” said legislator Romero.
Elisa Trotta, general secretary of the Argentine Forum for the Defense of Democracy (FADD, an organization created in 2020), welcomed the decision adopted by the Buenos Aires Legislature, considering that it represents a strong message of support for the more than 220,000 Venezuelans “who have had to escape from their country and settle in Argentina.”
“Autocrats, like Maduro, must know that their crimes will not go unpunished and that the world is not their backyard to walk around with their hands stained with blood,” added Trotta, an Argentine Venezuelan diplomat.
The resolution was approved 45 days before the presidential elections that will take place in the Caribbean country.
“Venezuelans are in the streets, accompanying the national liberation movement led by María Corina Machado and Edmundo González (anti-Chavist opponents),” added Trotta, who declared that “the world is watching and will not allow the will of citizens to be expressed at the polls on July 28 to be stolen.”
Six citizens opposed to the Government of Venezuela have been in asylum since March 26 in the residence of the Argentine Embassy in Caracas.
On May 30, the Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs, Diana Mondino, demanded from Venezuela “the immediate issuance of safe-conducts,” in compliance with the 1954 Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, so that this group can leave the country.
International
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
Not even the wires were left behind at a small grocery store. Before the ground had even stopped shaking, looting and theft began in the areas hardest hit by the double earthquake that struck Venezuela.
Reports of robberies have multiplied in the coastal state of La Guaira, located near Caracas and now transformed into a landscape of collapsed buildings and debris.
Videos circulating on social media show groups of people removing boxes of household appliances from a damaged store. Other images show similar boxes being carried on top of vehicles and motorcycles.
Social media platforms have also been filled with accusations against police officers and military personnel who allegedly stole from homes and even from victims who died during the disaster.
A branch of a major pharmacy chain was looted, along with supermarkets and other businesses. Some residents have described the situation as “disaster tourism,” while others say the looting reflects hunger and desperation among people who lost everything in a country already facing a prolonged economic crisis.
“Is it fair that our own people turn against our own people?” said María Esther Bernal, 71, who rented commercial spaces to Chinese merchants, all of which were looted. “They left nothing behind, not even the wallpaper. They even took the cables,” she said.
“Next door, a man died. He was Chinese. People walked over his body while they looted the place. It was a supermarket,” she added.
An AFP journalist witnessed looting in La Guaira since Thursday, following the earthquakes.
Jenifer Mayora, 34, defended some of the actions, saying that “the things people took were because the owners of the stores allowed us to take them.”
However, she criticized the limited response from authorities. “I have been waiting for a mattress so my children can sleep,” she said.
Residents have expressed anger over what they describe as a slow and insufficient response from authorities after the double earthquake, which has left around 1,450 people dead and tens of thousands missing.
Communities are demanding not only faster rescue operations in La Guaira, but also stronger security measures and urgent assistance with food, water, and medicine.
International
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
Up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, according to an assessment released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency.
The organization said the projections are based on available population data and damage assessments, and include up to two million people living in Caracas, the country’s capital.
The estimates highlight the potentially massive humanitarian impact of the disaster, the IOM warned.
Entire buildings collapsed in La Guaira, a coastal area north of Caracas, following the powerful twin earthquakes that reached magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on Wednesday.
The national death toll has risen to 920, while rescue teams continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble in coastal regions and other affected areas.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told AFP on Friday that more than 50,000 people were reported missing.
The IOM also revealed that it worked with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence laboratory on an initial satellite mapping analysis, which showed that 31.5% of buildings in the town of Catia La Mar had suffered damage.
Authorities and international rescue teams continue operations as Venezuela faces one of its largest humanitarian emergencies in recent years.
International
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday expressed his condolences to the people of Venezuela following the two devastating earthquakes that struck the country and highlighted the ongoing coordination between UN humanitarian teams and interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
Speaking during the UN’s daily press briefing, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres was deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
“The Secretary-General is deeply distressed by the loss of life and the widespread devastation caused by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela yesterday. He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured,” Dujarric stated.
Venezuela was struck on Wednesday by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude. According to official figures, the disaster has left at least 164 people dead and 971 others injured.
Dujarric noted that preliminary reports indicate significant damage across several states, including the capital, Caracas. Numerous casualties have been reported, while other individuals remain trapped beneath collapsed structures or are still missing.
“Critical infrastructure has been damaged and essential services have been disrupted,” the spokesperson said.
The United Nations confirmed that its humanitarian team remains in close contact with interim President Delcy Rodríguez and other relevant authorities as emergency operations continue.
To support relief efforts, the UN has established a coordination center in Caracas and is assisting local authorities to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches affected communities as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Guterres also welcomed the expressions of solidarity and offers of assistance from countries around the world that responded following news of the disaster, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in addressing the humanitarian emergency.
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
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