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.
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.
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
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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