Venezuela: Earthquake death toll rises to 3,811; Caracas demands the release of frozen assets

The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 continues to rise. According to figures announced Wednesday by the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, the disasters have now claimed 3,811 lives, while 16,740 people have been injured and 17,907 residents are homeless.

Faced with the scale of the destruction, interim president Delcy Rodriguez reiterated her call for the lifting of international sanctions against Venezuela. She believes the country could finance a significant portion of the reconstruction if Venezuelan assets frozen abroad were released.

“Venezuela has resources tied up around the world that could contribute to this reconstruction process,” Delcy Rodriguez told the public broadcaster VTV. She also emphasized that these funds would be needed to support resettlement, employment, and education programs for the affected populations.

For more than 20 years, the United States, the European Union, and several other countries have imposed numerous sanctions on Venezuela, accusing the authorities of anti-democratic practices and links to drug trafficking. Many of these measures remain in effect. However, following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by US authorities earlier this year, Washington granted some targeted waivers, particularly for the oil sector.

Following the earthquakes, the United States also authorized, for a period of four months, certain transactions related to humanitarian aid that were previously prohibited by sanctions.

Delcy Rodriguez also indicated that she had sent a letter to King Charles III requesting the release of Venezuela's gold reserves held at the Bank of England. She further stated that she had discussed this issue with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, as Caracas seeks to mobilize all available resources to accelerate the reconstruction of the devastated regions.