Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez has confirmed that 6,125 people have died following two powerful earthquakes that struck the country in June, with a further 61,000 people treated in hospitals. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors, which hit on June 24, caused the most severe damage in the coastal state of La Guaira and the capital, Caracas, with the World Bank estimating physical damage at nearly $20 billion. The government of interim President Delcy Rodriguez faces mounting criticism over the pace of its disaster response — only 16.5 percent of debris has been cleared — while advocates are calling for remaining US economic sanctions on Venezuela to be lifted to help channel international reconstruction funds into the country.