July 4, 2026
The United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) issued the following statement. Go to unac.notowar.net to read the statement in English and Spanish. You can also sign on to the statement and share it on social media.
Earthquake recovery plus sovereignty is what Venezuelans want.
We extend our full solidarity and condolences to the Venezuelan people as they grapple with the human tragedy caused by the twin earthquakes of June 24, 2026. We applaud emergency aid to rescue those under the rubble and meet the needs of the living victims.
This natural disaster comes on top of the U.S. invasion and kidnapping of the president in January, several months of extrajudicial killings in Venezuela’s territorial waters, years of deadly U.S. sanctions and the theft of Venezuela’s assets overseas.
In order to allow Venezuela to rebuild and recover from this disaster, we demand that the United States:
- Fully and permanently lift all sanctions on Venezuela;
- Return Venezuela’s oil revenues to the Venezuelan government;
- Unfreeze all of Venezuela’s overseas assets — including billions in gold and other currencies held at the Bank of England and elsewhere;
- Free President Nicolás Maduro and [First Combatant] First Lady Cilia Flores from the U.S. jail where they are being illegally held as political prisoners; and
- Refrain from using disaster relief as an excuse for military occupation.
The U.S. government’s pretense of friendship to Venezuela rings hollow, after years of U.S. sanctions and military aggression have caused tens of thousands of deaths. U.S. assistance for reconstruction will be paltry compared to the massive heist it has perpetrated against the country through assets theft and sanctions. What Venezuela needs for post-earthquake reconstruction is the return of the billions of dollars the U.S. government and its allies have stolen.
It is time to return to Venezuela what rightfully belongs to Venezuela.
