Venezuela Demands Gold Release as Earthquake Toll Rises

Venezuela is asking the Bank of England to release $4billion in gold reserves held by the bank. The country, which has been plagued by economic collapse and US sanctions for over a decade, wants to use the funds to recover from twin earthquakes that struck at the end of June.

The back-to-back tremors killed over 6,000 people, injured 16,740 others, and left 17,907 without homes. Up to 6.8 million people were affected, with an estimated 1.8 million in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has said the government will focus on rebuilding households, health capacities, electricity availability, and clearing rubble. She added that the gold should be used to address the 'terrible, tragic consequences' of the earthquakes.