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The death toll from Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes has risen to 2,954, according to official figures released on Saturday.
Fatalities increased by more than 300 from Friday, with over 16,000 injured following the June 24 disaster that toppled scores of buildings and left thousands still missing.
One of Latin America’s worst earthquake disasters has left more than 16,000 homeless and collapsed 190 buildings, mostly in the coastal La Guaira area north of the capital Caracas.
Ten days after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude double shocks, rescue teams are starting to wrap up searches for survivors while families try to recover the bodies of loved ones from the rubble.
The critical window for rescues in disasters like earthquakes usually ends after 72 hours, though a few people have miraculously been found alive this week.
The United States on Wednesday designated Ecuador-based Chone Killers as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
The U.S. said the Ecuadorian gang has committed many attacks targeting civilians, law enforcement officers, and government officials, including high-profile assassinations of public officials.
Chone Killers, according to the State Department, originated as a faction of Los Choneros — a designated FTO and SDGT — before splintering into a separate group in 2020.
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Washington says the U.S., alongside Ecuador and President Daniel Noboa, will continue to protect the hemisphere by cutting off illicit drug suppliers and disrupting traffickers’ revenue streams.
The latest action, the government notes, demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to dismantling cartels and narcoterrorists in the region and ensuring the safety of the American people.
The designation was announced one day after the United States sanctioned two Mexican nationals and nine entities involved in fuel theft, and are linked to Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
CJNG, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, was led by Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, a.k.a. “El Mencho,” until he was killed in February this year during a military operation in Mexico.
The Treasury’s action, according to Washington, highlights CJNG’s “exploitation of Mexico’s petroleum and petrochemicals sector,” labeled a threat to legitimate U.S. businesses and the financial system.
President Vladimir Putin denounced the latest European Union sanctions on Sunday, boasting that Russia has enough resources to weather the storm.
The premier delivered a speech in Moscow at the United Russia Party’s 23rd Congress, attended by hundreds of delegates, politicians, and guests.
He condemned Ukraine’s “targeted attacks on civilians and civilian facilities,” and the “recruitment of renegades within our country” to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks.
