International

The pope last called the Gaza parish on Saturday and asked about the children

Pope Francis called for the last time the only Catholic parish of Gaza on Saturday night, before the Easter vigil, to ask about the Easter celebrations and the children, a custom he maintained during his last hospitalization, provided that his health allowed it.

Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Holy Family, the only Catholic in Gaza, explained to the local media that the announcement of the pope’s death was a very painful moment for the community and that even the Orthodox and Muslims came to give him their condolences.

Francis called his vicar, Father Yousef, on Saturday night, and also spoke with another nun, asking about the children and how they were preparing for Easter, according to Romanelli, explaining that these calls had become a fixed appointment in which the pope transmitted his closeness, support and words of encouragement to the community.

These telephone connections were one of the first tasks that Francisco recovered from the hospital after overcoming the critical phase in his last 38-day hospitalization at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he suffered two respiratory crises that endangered his life.

Romanelli also highlighted that Francisco had become so close to his community that he recognized the voices of the parishioners and knew the names of the children, and that when he called they put on the loudspeaker so that he could talk to the little ones, whom he called by name.

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CEL

The pope’s death at the age of 88 caused deep sadness among the Catholics of Gaza, to whom he always showed his closeness and who, as the parish priest explained, considered Francis as a father and one more member of his family.

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.

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CEL

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.

International

Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win

Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.

“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.

In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”

International

Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains

Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.

The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.

“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”

Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.