Rescue crews from around the world are continuing to dig through the rubble as more strong aftershocks hampered their efforts in Venezuela. It's an ever increasingly desperate search because the chances of finding anyone alive are diminishing rapidly. At least seventeen hundred people are known to have died but with around 50,000 still thought to be missing, the agony for waiting families all too often becomes the agony of grief. Dan Rivers' eyewitness report contains scenes of human anguish.
In Venezuela, ITV News has seen the remarkable efforts of survivors scrambling to dig out their loved ones and neighbours, often with their bare hands and rudimentary tools. But our team has also seen the failure of the Venezuelan government to get a grip on the crisis. Police officers have been caught looting ruined homes, officials have been slow in their reactions, aid agencies have been bogged down in red tape, and soldiers have been deployed to manage traffic, not dig out survivors.
A major international appeal was launched today on behalf of the victims of the Venezuelan earthquake disaster. The appeal was accompanied by a warning from the UN about the extreme pressure now faced by hospitals struggling to cope in the stricken country. On the ground, desperate rescue efforts continue, including attempts to reach a man buried beneath a collapsed car park.
A preview of three short films featuring the personal stories of coffee farmers from Colombia, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda who are involved in Volcafe Way. Volcafe Way is the farmer support programme of Volcafe, one of the world's leading green coffee companies. Learn more at volcafe.com/volcafe-way Film credits: Andres Bo, Nyokabi Kahura, Cheyenne Abel, and Tobias Thiele (Creative Director) / Volcafe / Fairpicture
LATEST FOR EL PAIS //// In Muzo, luck and chance are like two neighbors in the village, two old acquaintances. People buy and sell raffle tickets, lottery tickets, or chances in search of a stroke of luck that will change their lives. But this corner of Boyacá, in central Colombia, is famous above all for a version of luck to which they attribute a spell: emeralds, the most valuable in the world. The tireless search for them and their unlikely discovery have been the lifeblood of this place since the days when it was inhabited only by indigenous peoples. Although greed for the gems sparked conflicts that bled the region dry in the past, now there is a peaceful atmosphere and a particular change can be sensed: the emerald trade, which used to be done in person to verify their value, is now done on TikTok and social media. The business of the green treasure in this land, its self-proclaimed world capital, is no longer conducted as it once was. The people of Boyacá now live far removed from the crimes associated with the gemstone trade, while a group of miners and artisans explore its sale through social media and promote tourism in the region.
LATEST FOR DW //// 35 years is the average life expectancy of a trans woman in Latin America. supposedly they now have many rights, but on the street they are victims of hatred and rejection. Poverty and access to work are another serious problem. We spoke with Alexandra Colmenares about the reality of the trans community in Colombia.
LATEST FOR INSIDER NEWS. Gasoline is one of the main ingredients for processing cocaine in Colombia. But as fuel prices increase, some locals are stealing crude oil to make bootleg gasoline known as pategrillo. Now, police are trying to find and destroy the illegal labs in an effort to curb the country's decades-long cocaine problem.