International

The Dominican Republic and Haiti come out almost unscathed from the passage of Hurricane Beryl

The Dominican Republic and Haiti came out almost unscathed from the passage of Hurricane Beryl, whose main effect on the Spanish island, shared by both countries, was the strong waves that hit the Caribbean coast, where this Wednesday normality was restored except for some problems with the supply of electricity and water.

Almost half a million people were left without water supply due to the effects of the cyclone, according to the preliminary report of the damage in the national territory, where on Tuesday its effects were felt although with less intensity than expected.

During Beryl’s advance in the south of the Dominican Caribbean coast, 57 aqueducts were affected, leaving 487,020 users without service, according to the report of the Emergency Operations Center (COE).

The same information indicates that, in Barahona (south), one of the provinces most affected by the rains, 66 people had to leave their homes, while in the municipality of Boca Chica, near the capital, several beach establishments suffered damage due to the strong waves.

In addition, thousands of people are without electricity service as a result of the strong waves and the winds caused by Beryl that “have generated interruptions in the electricity service in various parts of the country,” the electricity distributors Edenorte, Edesur and Edeeste, who hope to leave the problem solved this same Wednesday, reported in a joint statement.

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Although the indirect effects of Beryl have been limited and has already moved away from the national territory, the COE maintains 17 provinces on green alert for possible floods of rivers, streams and ravines, as well as sudden floods, and restrictions on navigation on the Caribbean coast are still in force.

As for Haiti, the Civil Protection Directorate reported that the cyclone caused “very little damage” in the country, where several flooded streets were reported in the southeast, where several fishing boats were dragged through the waters, specifically in Cayes Jacmel and Marigot, while the two mobile phone companies were out of service.

Although no river overflows were recorded and damage to housing and educational infrastructure is not important, the Haitian authorities maintain the orange alert level for the departments of the south of the country, as well as the prohibition of sailing, especially in the southern areas, until Friday.

In both cases, the damage has been of little consideration compared to the destruction suffered on the islands of Granada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the most devastated by the phenomenon, and it is feared that it will also cause great devastation in Jamaica.

The center of Beryl, a category 4 cyclone, will pass near or over Jamaica in the next few hours to arrive this evening or early Thursday morning in the Cayman Islands and then enter the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States.

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The first hurricane of the Atlantic season remains a fearsome system with maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour), according to the most recent bulletin of the NHC, based in Miami (Florida), which places it 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Kingston (Jamaica) and 225 kilometers (140 miles) east of Grand Cayman.

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.”

International

Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.

The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.

“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.

He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.

For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.

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The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.

Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.

International

Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.

“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”

Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.

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The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.