By Gabriel Aguirre, World BEYOND War, July 5, 2026

Since June 24th, the earthquakes in Venezuela have left thousands of people missing, injured, dead, homeless, or severely traumatized.

Despite this, that solidarity is the most powerful tool that people have to face any adversity has been clearly demonstrated in Venezuela.

From the very first day after the catastrophe in the country, members of the Venezuelan chapter of World BEYOND War, despite also being affected by what happened, decided to volunteer their time to support those most in need, from comforting a family that lost everything to distributing tents, tarpaulins, mattresses, blankets, medicine, and food in general to places where the shortages resulting from this situation make life even more difficult.

This solidarity has also been demonstrated by some countries, some of which sent rescuers with the sole mission of saving lives, while others sent their military forces to advance their position. We have always maintained that it is organized people who can truly confront enormous challenges, not militaries.

There are a couple of things that are very dangerous in this terrible situation that Venezuela has suffered. The first is related to the presence of the Southern Command in supposedly humanitarian operations in the country. This deployment of U.S. military troops could pursue the same objective they have had in taking advantage of natural disasters in other parts of the world, namely, establishing a permanent presence.

Furthermore, the sanctions regime against Venezuela has remained intact. On June 25, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License No. 60, a measure that facilitates the release of funds to help with the relief efforts following the earthquake. This license expires on October 23.

The temporary nature of this license demonstrates that the United States continues to consider Venezuela an unusual and extraordinary threat, as established by the 2014 executive order upon which all subsequent sanctions and blockades against the country are based.

The license granted prohibits the unfreezing of any Venezuelan property, including Citgo, Venezuelan gold, and liquid funds deposited in U.S. and European banks. Venezuela possesses approximately $20 billion, nearly 150 times the $150 million offered by the United States as aid. This exemplifies the hypocrisy of a U.S. administration that still maintains its nuclear weapons, its blockade and sanctions, its Southern Command, its military bases, and its deployment in the Caribbean, threatening and holding a sovereign nation hostage, pointing a gun directly at its head, and coercing its actions under the pretext of interfering and bombing it again if necessary, as happened on January 3rd.

This is a courageous people who continue to resist despite not threatening anyone with their existence.

Our work will continue to be to demand the abolition of war and its preparations, dismantle militarism, oppose military bases, and work from a culture of peace, from building a world of solidarity, peace, and social justice.

We stand alongside smiles and kind hearts, those who continue to build a humanity without war. Our mission remains ever-present, and our movement is more active than ever in this era of new forms of nonviolent resistance.

The post Venezuela: Amidst the Rubble, Sanctions, and the Kindness of Hearts appeared first on World BEYOND War.

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