Venezuela declares 7 days of national mourning for quake victims

Caracas, July 2 (IANS) Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez has declared seven days of national mourning in tribute to the victims of the powerful earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.

“In honour of the memory of the victims, I have decided to decree National Mourning for seven (7) days, starting at 6:00 p.m. today,” Rodriguez wrote in a statement posted on social media on Wednesday (local time).

She said that “in these moments of profound sadness, we embrace those who suffer from this tragedy and reaffirm our commitment to accompany and protect them.”

“Venezuela’s soul is torn by the human losses caused by the devastating earthquakes,” Rodriguez added.

According to the latest official update, the earthquakes had caused at least 1,943 fatalities and injured more than 10,500 people by Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Earlier, the Portuguese government also declared a national day of mourning to be observed on Sunday (July 5) for the victims of the earthquakes in Venezuela, particularly Portuguese nationals and people of Portuguese descent, reported local media on Wednesday.

According to the latest update from Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the death toll among Portuguese nationals and people of Portuguese descent has risen to 71, including 11 children, while another 71 people remain missing.

The official Lusa News Agency reported that the Portuguese community in Venezuela is one of the largest in the Portuguese diaspora, ranking second in Latin America after Brazil. Community estimates put its population, including people of Portuguese descent, at around 1.2 million.

Last week, Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced that La Guaira state, which was hard hit by the twin earthquakes, had been placed under military control to facilitate rescue efforts and ensure security.

“We want to tell everyone that La Guaira state is now fully militarised and fully under the control of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces,” Rodriguez said during a televised briefing.

Rodriguez said acting president Delcy Rodriguez had ordered the measure to ensure public safety, maintain internal order and facilitate rescue operations by Venezuelan emergency responders and international rescue teams.

He said the majority of rescue personnel were operating in Caraballeda, Macuto, Los Corales and Catia La Mar — areas that had been severely affected by the earthquakes.

–IANS

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