International community voices solidarity after blast in Amuay

Colombian, Mexican and Bolivian governments, South American organization Unasur and the governments of Spain and France have sent condolence statements to Venezuela concerning the blast occurred on Saturday morning in Amuay refinery in Falcón state.

On Saturday, Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia expressed their solidarity on behalf of the Colombian people and also offered help to overcome the emergency. Also, Mexico's Secretariat of Foreign Affairs sent a statement expressing their condolences to the victims' relatives, the Venezuelan people and government and also offered cooperation. In addition, Bolivia's President, Evo Morales deeply regretted the accident in Amuay and sent a message of support and solidarity to his counterpart, President Hugo Chávez.

The General Secretariat of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) also sent a statement expressing their "feelings of solidarity to the relatives of those who lost their lives, their properties, or were injured in this painful event", state-run news agency AVN reported.

For his part, Spain and France also expressed their solidarity after Amuay's tragedy. In a statement by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Spanish Executive Office expressed its sorrow for the accident in Amuay and its solidarity, especially to the relatives of the victims and wished for the recovery of the injured. Also, the spokesperson of the French Ministry of Foreign Affaires sent its condolences "in these moments of national mourning."

On Saturday early morning there was an explosion in oil refinery Amuay, in the Paraguaná Refining Center in Falcón state, west Venezuela, causing serious material damages, 41 fatal victims and a substantial number of injured.

Translated by Andreína Trujillo