International
Hasina receives a third accusation in Bangladesh after resigning as prime minister
Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was forced to resign and flee the Asian country, and eight of her collaborators, were denounced this Wednesday before a Bangladeshi court for alleged crimes against humanity and genocide during the repression of the recent protests, official sources told EFE.
The case registered in the International Criminal Court of Bangladesh is the first on charges of “genocide” and the third that is opened against the former president related to the violent anti-government protests in which more than 400 people died, according to EFE.
The mobilizations – initially peaceful – began on July 1, led by groups of university students opposed to a controversial system of quotas for public employment that favored the descendants of ex-combatants of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.
The protests intensified quickly and were brutally repressed by the authorities of the Asian country until on August 5 the situation became unsustainable for the former president and leader of the Awami League, who was forced to resign from her position as prime minister – a role she had occupied uninterruptedly since 2009 – and to flee Dhaca.
A lawyer of the Supreme Court of the Asian country filed the complaint on Wednesday against Hasina and other figures of their governments, including former ministers Obaidul Quader and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, according to the Bangladeshi media.
The complaint was filed a few hours after the Justice Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Asif Nazrul, assured at a press conference that those responsible for the violence during the protests could be tried for crimes against humanity in Bangladesh.
The provisional Executive who leads the Nobel Peace Prize Muhammad Yunus made this decision after the pressure of the social sectors that led to the mobilizations against Hasina and her party, the Awami League, in power uninterruptedly since 2009.
“Student organizations, human rights organizations and different sectors have asked if there is a possibility of judging these facts as a crime against humanity (…) Under the International Criminal Court Act of 1973, we will hold trials for the mass murders of July and the first days of August,” Nazrul said.
The adviser stressed that the interim government is trying to keep the investigation under the supervision of the United Nations.
“The UN has given us guarantees on repeated occasions (…) To guarantee our transparency and neutrality, our research team will work with the UN,” he concluded.
Sheikh Hasina, in New Delhi since August 5, broke his silence yesterday for the first time after leaving Bangladesh through a statement published by his son, Sajeeb Wazed, on social network X.
The former prime minister asked for the investigators to be responsible for the violence that led to her resignation and subsequent escape from Bangladesh.
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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