International
Ortega expels Brazil’s ambassador from Nicaragua for not attending the Sandinista anniversary
The former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) Arturo McFields Yescas confirmed on Wednesday that the Government chaired by DanielOrtega ordered the expulsion of the ambassador of Brazil to Nicaragua, Breno de Souza Brasil Días da Costa, for not attending the ceremony of celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution on July 19, to which he was invited.
McFields Yescas, who rebelled against the Ortega Government during a virtual session of the OAS in March 2022, said in X that “the dictatorship” launched an “ultimatum to the ambassador of Brazil to leave” Nicaragua.
The diplomat and journalist denationalized by Ortega, who was part of the Sandinista Government from 2011 to March 2022, commented that with that decision the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and his Nicaraguan counterpart, Daniel Ortega, “have another strong clash.”
He recalled that Lula and Ortega have a friendship of more than 40 years, and that precisely on the first anniversary of the Sandinista revolution, in 1980, during one of his visits to Nicaragua, Lula met the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
“Years later Lula and Castro would form the infamous Sao Paulo Forum. Today Ortega expels the ambassador of Brazil with ultimatum and insults,” he added.
According to McFields Yescas, “for many years Lula and Ortega had maintained a close friendship” both personally and politically.
“Today the honeymoon is broken. Ortega expels Lula’s ambassador in a vulgar and ordinary way. Lula had asked his ambassador not to participate in public events with the dictator of Nicaragua,” said the diplomat and journalist.
The news was revealed by the Brazilian newspaper Folha De S.Paulo, and the Nicaraguan platform Divergentes, which cited diplomatic sources from their countries.
Neither the Government of Nicaragua nor the Government of Brazil have confirmed or denied that information.
On July 22, Lula revealed that Ortega has not answered his phone since Pope Francis asked him to advocate for the situation of a bishop in that country.
“I talked to the pope and he asked me to talk to Ortega about a bishop who was imprisoned,” Lula said in an interview with foreign correspondents, in relation to the religious Rolando Álvarez, imprisoned for his opposition to the Nicaraguan Government.
“The concrete thing is that Ortega didn’t answer my phone and didn’t want to talk to me. So, I never talked to him again,” he added.
Lula regretted that this happens with “a guy who made a revolution like the one Ortega made to defeat (Anastasio) Somoza” Debayle and said that today he doesn’t know if that revolution was “because he wanted power or because he wanted to improve the life of his people.”
The Brazilian president said he was in favor of “an alternation in power” in every country, because it is “the healthiest” for a democracy.
According to Lula, “when a leader puts it in the head that he is essential or irreplaceable, that is where the spirit of the dictator begins to be born.”
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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