International
Russia prohibits internet access to 81 European media
Russia announced today that it prohibits the broadcasting and access from its territory by internet to 81 European media, four of them Spanish, including the EFE Agency.
The measure is the response to the restrictions adopted on May 17 by the Council of the European Union against three Russian media – the RIA Nóvosti Agency and the newspapers Izvestia and Rossískaya Gazeta – and which entered into force today, Tuesday.
The list published on its website by the Russian Foreign Ministry includes the websites of the EFE Agency (efe.com) and El País, El Mundo and Televisión Española.
Regarding the media of 25 countries of the European Union (EU), “response measures are introduced to limit the issuance and access to their resources on the Internet from the territory of the Russian Federation.”
The statement emphasizes that the restrictions are adopted against means that “systemately disseminate unreliable information about the progress of the special military operation,” as known in Russia for the military campaign deployed in Ukraine since February 2022.
Among the 81 affected media there are also headlines such as the German newspaper Die Zeit and the magazine Der Spiegel; the Italians La Stampa and La Repubblica; the Portuguese Publico; the French Le Monde and Liberation; or the Dutch magazine Algemeen Dagblad.
It also includes television channels such as the Italian RAI; the French LC1 and Arte; the Irish RTE; the Portuguese RTP Internacional; the Dutch Nos or the Austrian ORF; in addition to the radio station Radio France.
In addition to EFE, the agencies whose access in Russia will be restricted are the French Agence France-Press and Agence Europe.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that it had repeatedly warned at different levels that “politically motivated harassment” of Russian journalists and the “unfounded” prohibition of Russian media in the territory of the European Union “would not go unanswered.”
Moscow emphasizes that, as Brussels chose to choose the path of “escalation,” in this way it forced the Russian authorities to adopt “symmetrical and proportionate measures.”
“The responsibility for this development of events lies exclusively with the leaders of the EU and the countries that support this bloc,” he said.
In mid-May, the foreign spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, warned that her country would take retaliatory measures against Western correspondents in its territory if the EU restricted the work of the Russian media.
“Until now they felt our love, now they will also have to feel our reprisals,” he said at a press conference.
He recalled that Moscow “will respond suddenly and in an extremely painful way for Westerners.”
“If even if it is a single Russian medium is subject to unfounded restrictions, it will have an impact on your colleagues here, in Russia. I’m referring to Western journalists,” he said.
Since the beginning of the war, Russia has restricted the access of foreign journalists to the activities organized by the Russian State and in some cases did not extend the work visa for some Western correspondents.
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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