International
Senator Menéndez plans to resign in August after being found guilty of corruption in the United States
U.S. Senator Bob Menéndez plans to resign on August 20 after being found guilty of all the charges in a corruption trial in New York last week and in the face of the threat of expulsion of other politicians from the Democratic Party.
According to the local media New Jersey Globe, which cites three sources familiar with the matter, Menéndez could publish his resignation letter today, while Axios anticipates that the senator’s employees were informed on Tuesday of the plans to leave office in August.
Menéndez, 70 years old and of Cuban origin, entered the U.S. Senate in 2006 and came to the position of president of the influential Foreign Relations Committee of the chamber, a position he abandoned after the indictment, unlike the seat for New Jersey, which he has resisted leaving.
The Prosecutor’s Office accused Menéndez and his wife, Nadine, of accepting luxury gifts, including a Mercedes-Benz and gold bars, from three New Jersey businessmen – also accused – in exchange for political favors for the Governments of Egypt and Qatar, to the point of qualifying him as a “foreign agent.”
Menéndez maintained his innocence and refused to sign a guilt agreement that could have reduced his sentence; he also did not testify during the trial of more than two months, but he described in public the gifts received as something natural in the activity of a politician.
The senator had about six months left in office and ran for re-election as an independent after the break with his party; now that his seat is unoccupied, it will be the governor of New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy, who chooses his replacement.
Possible candidates include the first lady, Tammy Murphy; the deputy governor, Tahesha Way; former Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells and the judge of the U.S. District Court. Esther Salas.
The leader of the Senate, Democrat Chuck Schumer, again asked for Menéndez’s resignation after the verdict was known, but among the chorus of voices in the Upper House, those demanding his expulsion begin to be heard, a highly unusual measure that requires a vote and a two-thirds majority.
The sentence against Menéndez will be announced on October 29 and faces a maximum penalty of 222 years in prison, although the sentence will probably be much lower because he has no history.
The still senator faced another trial for corruption – not related to the recent charges – in 2017 but the jury did not reach unanimity in the verdict, so the process was declared null and void.
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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