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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Disasters & Emergencies

Officials accused of confiscating earthquake aid in Venezuela's Yaracuy

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Civil society and merchants in Yaracuy, Venezuela, reported that local government officials confiscated aid supplies intended for earthquake victims.
  • The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners (Clippve) denounced the confiscation, calling it an arbitrary act that hinders humanitarian assistance.
  • The incident occurred in Yaracuy state, which was affected by a seismic doublet on June 24, with ongoing aftershocks causing damage and uncertainty.

In Yaracuy, Venezuela, officials from the Arístides Bastidas municipality allegedly confiscated humanitarian aid collected by civil society and local merchants for earthquake victims. The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners (Clippve) denounced the seizure on Saturday, June 27, calling it an arbitrary act that obstructs citizen-led humanitarian initiatives.

This fact is added to other reports about measures that hinder citizen initiatives for humanitarian assistance, in the midst of an emergency that has overwhelmed the institutional response capacity.

— Comité por la Libertad de los Presos Políticos (Clippve)The NGO's statement on the alleged confiscation of aid supplies.

The NGO stated that this incident adds to reports of measures hindering aid efforts amid an emergency that has overwhelmed institutional response capacity. Clippve demanded that authorities cease these "arbitrariness" and ensure that citizen solidarity can proceed without undue restrictions, emphasizing that "solidarity has no political color" and that protecting lives should supersede all interests during emergencies.

We demand that the authorities cease these arbitrary acts and guarantee that citizen solidarity can develop without undue restrictions. No official should prevent aid from reaching those who urgently need it today.

— Comité por la Libertad de los Presos Políticos (Clippve)The NGO's call to authorities regarding the confiscated aid.

As of now, the Arístides Bastidas municipality has not issued an official statement regarding the accusations. Yaracuy state was the epicenter of a seismic doublet on June 24, which caused damage and continues to generate aftershocks, leaving affected communities in a state of uncertainty.

Solidarity has no political color. In an emergency, protecting life must be above any interest.

— Comité por la Libertad de los Presos Políticos (Clippve)An emphasis from the NGO on the nature of humanitarian aid.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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