The death toll from the recent earthquakes in Venezuela has surpassed 3,800. As the damage continues to escalate, the Venezuelan government is demanding the lifting of international sanctions and access to frozen assets abroad.
According to Reuters, Jorge Rodriguez, the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, announced on July 8 that the number of fatalities from the two earthquakes that struck on June 24 has risen to 3,811. The number of injured is reported to be 16,740, with 17,907 people displaced.
Interim President Delsy Rodriguez urged on state television VTV, "International sanctions against Venezuela must be lifted for earthquake recovery efforts." He added, "If we could access the frozen assets abroad, it would help fund reconstruction costs."
The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on the Venezuelan government due to allegations of anti-democratic activities and involvement in drug trafficking. Following the earthquakes, the U.S. allowed transactions related to earthquake relief for four months, but many sanctions remain in place.
Interim President Rodriguez also called for the return of 31 tons of Venezuelan gold held by the Bank of England. He stated, "I have sent a letter to King Charles III of the United Kingdom and discussed the issue of accessing frozen assets with the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)."
The Bank of England has previously refused to return the gold, and the matter has been the subject of prolonged legal disputes in British courts.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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