International
González Urrutia asks Maduro to stop “violence” and accept “what expressed” in the stest
The standard-bearer of Venezuela’s main opposition coalition, Edmundo González Urrutia, asked President Nicolás Maduro to stop the violence unleashed after the July 28 elections – whose official result gave the victory of the Chavista leader – and accept that he lost the elections, as assured by the anti-Chavista bloc and some international observers.
“I call on you on behalf of all Venezuelans to stop the violence and persecutions and immediately release all the compatriots arbitrarily detained,” said the diplomat, in a video he shared through X, alluding to the more than 2,400 arrests that have taken place in the context of the post-election protests.
“Enough of persecution and violence, enough of trying to sow terror, enough of disrespecting the will of Venezuelans for change. Accept what is expressed by our people and let’s all begin to get our country out of this crisis,” continued González Urrutia, who claims to have won the elections by a wide margin.
He reiterated that demanding compliance with the Constitution, “protesting peacefully to make the will of millions of Venezuelans respected,” having worked as an electoral witness on July 28 and reporting what happened that day “is not a crime.”
“Crime is not to accept the will of our people, crime is to disappear, persecute, imprison and unjustly condemn hundreds of innocent citizens, crime is to savagely repress peaceful protesters,” he stressed.
This pronouncement comes hours after the PUD denounced, on the same social network, that “repression and political persecution have reached inhuman and critical levels,” since “dozens of adolescents, hundreds of women and men have been kidnapped for expressing their will for change and a better future.”
According to the NGO Foro Penal, which leads the defense of those considered political prisoners in the country, so far there have been 1,303 verified arrests, produced in the post-election situation, which includes 170 women, 116 adolescents, 14 indigenous people and 16 people with some disability.
In the context of the protests, violent and vandalism events were recorded, resulting in 24 civilians killed – according to the NGO Provea – as well as two soldiers killed and about a hundred security agents injured.
The National Electoral Council (CNE), which claims to have suffered a cyber attack on voting day, has not yet published the disaggregated results that confirm Maduro’s victory, a silence that has been questioned by numerous countries and organizations, including the Carter Center, which participated as an observer in the elections.
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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