The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, denounced an alleged “sabotage” and asked for an investigation into the power cuts generated since last weekend in different parts of the country, in the face of the impossibility of meeting all the national demand.
“We have initiated an investigation for sabotage, because, in certain areas, in certain power plants, there has been sabotage. We are not going to allow that to happen, and they do it miserable the last week before a popular consultation because they know that they had it lost,” he said without mentioning any name of possible perpetrators.
Noboa added that they have declared the country’s energy sector in an “emergency” and said that he has requested the resignation of the Minister of Energy and Mines, Andrea Arrobo, who last Friday had assured that there would be no blackouts in the short term despite pointing out that the largest reservoir in the country was at its minimum level.
“This investigation is not going to rest, we have already submitted (the complaint to) the Prosecutor’s Office,” he said, adding that “every person involved will be considered, not only a traitor to the homeland, but a threat to national security.”
The ruler added: “No one is going to ‘count’ me (tell a story) in the last second that we have to give five hours of blackout to (the province of) Guayas. We are not going to give more blackouts this week,” he said without mentioning whether the decision applies only to Guayas, whose capital is the port city of Guayaquil, or to the whole country.
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“To counteract the actions of these miserable people, we will cover 50% of the electricity sheet of the homes of the month of April,” he said amid the applause of the attendees of a scholarship ceremony.
The ruler opined that there are those who “today want to deceive Ecuador into saying that we are not prepared for this fight, that we are not prepared to face narco-terrorism.”
“But here, forcefully, with courage, we will not give rest to any of these criminals, nor to the politicians, nor to the former officials, nor to the former presidents, nor to any of these terrorists who today want to end the hope of our youth and the Ecuadorian family,” he added.
His adversaries, he said, take advantage of the needs of the most vulnerable “to see if they turn around a popular consultation that Ecuador requested and that Ecuador is going to vote ‘Yes’.”
More than 13 million Ecuadorians are called to the polls next Sunday to vote in a referendum on security, justice and employment issues.
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Among the questions are the possibility of the military permanently supporting the Police in the control of the security of the country and the extradition of Ecuadorians required by the Justice of other countries, among other issues such as the recognition of international arbitrations in any jurisdiction and hourly labor contracts.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
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She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
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The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
