International

The Presidency of Ecuador tells the former minister to allegedly hide the energy crisis

The Presidency of Ecuador told the former Minister of Energy and Mines Andrea Arrobo and other high-level officials of that Ministry on Wednesday that they had allegedly hidden information about the country’s energy crisis, which has again suffered blackouts of several hours due to the impossibility of meeting the national demand for electricity.

After having commissioned the Minister of Energy and Mines from the Minister of Transport and Public Works, Roberto Luque, the Presidency of Ecuador said on Wednesday in a statement, without presenting any evidence, that “a preliminary investigation gave indications that high-level officials, including former Minister Andrea Arrobo, intentionally concealed crucial information for the functioning of the national energy system.”

The Presidency reported that “a complaint was filed with the Prosecutor’s Office for paralysis of the public service against 22 saboteurs who sought to harm all Ecuadorians, affecting their development and productivity.”

On Tuesday, the president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, had already spoken of an alleged sabotage without mentioning specific names, in a speech where he immediately asked for Arrobo’s resignation.

The former minister had publicly assured on Friday that the blackouts, which were already recorded at the end of December 2023, would not occur again in the short term despite the fact that the largest reservoir in the country was at the minimum level and that Colombia had cut off the export of electricity to Ecuador, since it also faces a critical situation and does not have surpluses.

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“These first investigations indicate that warnings and alerts were suppressed and made to the Energy Crisis Committee, with the purpose that this serious situation is not known for timely decision-making,” the Presidency, in charge of President Daniel Noboa, said in a statement.

According to the presidential office, among the highlights are the critical conditions of the Mazar and Paute reservoirs, in the Andes mountain range, which register an operational storage level of 0% and 4%, respectively.

Likewise, the flow of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric power plant, the highest power in the country with 1,500 megawatts, recorded a deficit of 40% compared to the historical average.

Blackouts have been recorded since Sunday in several areas of the country, including the capital Quito and Guayaquil, the two largest cities in Ecuador, just in the days before the referendum called by Noboa to vote on reforms in matters of security, justice and employment, which constitute some of the main lines of his administration.

These power supply cuts began to occur without prior notice from the Government and initially attributed to “emerging maintenance” within the electricity sector, where the production, transport and marketing of electricity is mainly in the hands of public companies.

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That is why the Government has declared the electricity sector an emergency and has suspended the working day for Thursday and Friday, since it has already admitted that the blackouts will continue this week despite the fact that President Noboa had indicated on Tuesday in the province of Guayas that there were no more to be given this week.

In that sense, the minister in charge of Energy and Mines Roberto Luque said in a brief press appearance on Tuesday that there is no short-term solution, beyond the fact that torrential rains can occur in the areas of the main reservoirs of the country.

Thus, the Executive of Noboa has announced as compensation that its administration will subsidize 50% of the electricity service bills of April.

During these days, maintenance will be carried out in the power plants, which will involve energy rationing at certain immovable times.

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Related Topics:Daniel NOboa Ecuador Minister of Energy

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”