International
Ecuador quake leaves 14 dead and more than 400 injured
March 20 |
The strong 6.8 tremor that shook Ecuador left 14 dead and 446 people injured in at least two provinces, the country’s authorities reported on Sunday. At least one death was reported in bordering Peru.
A day after the earthquake, the most recent official reports show that 180 houses were affected and 5 bridges were destroyed, according to the Ecuadorian Risk Management Secretariat.
In Peru, Prime Minister Alberto Otárola reported that a 4-year-old girl died in a hospital in the Tumbes region, bordering Ecuador. The minor suffered an encephalocranial traumatism after her house collapsed due to the earthquake in Ecuador, which was also felt in Peru.
The Peruvian civil defense said that due to the tremor four houses were uninhabitable in the Tumbes region.
Ecuadorian rescue forces are still working in the areas affected by the quake, which according to Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute had its epicenter about 29 kilometers from Balao, in the Guayas region, about 80 kilometers south of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s second largest city.
Early Sunday, rescuers and volunteers traveled to the island of Puná, on Ecuador’s southern coast, to assess damage and offer aid to the victims. President Guillermo Lasso called on Ecuadorians to remain calm and expressed his solidarity with the families of the deceased and those affected.
The expressions of support to the victims and relatives of the victims began to arrive after the earthquake.
Pope Francis offered prayers on Sunday for the victims of the earthquake. During his weekly midday blessing, Francis recalled that the tremor “caused deaths, injuries and enormous damage.”
“I am close to the Ecuadorian people and I assure them of my prayers for the dead and for all those who suffer,” the pope added.
The U.S. ambassador in Quito, Michael J. Fitzpatrick, offered via Twitter “sincere condolences” for the deaths and assured that the U.S. “joins the people of Ecuador in this difficult situation.
Deaths and damages
One of the people who lost his life in Saturday’s earthquake was in the city of Cuenca. The victim was trapped inside a vehicle on which the facade of a house collapsed, informed the Secretariat of Risk Management.
In the province of El Oro, the collapse of a house resulted in the death of three people. In the area of Jambelí, the collapse of the camera tower of the Integrated Security Service ECU 911 was reported.
The airport in the Santa Rosa canton was slightly damaged as a result of the earthquake.
At the moment, two aftershocks have been registered after the tremor. One of magnitude 4.8 at a depth of 24 kilometers, and another of magnitude 3.7 at a depth of 23 kilometers. Both with epicenter about 23 kilometers from Balao, Guayas.
In Guayas, authorities reported multiple material damages. Including the collapse of 10 houses that left several injured.
In Machala canton, the tremor caused the collapse of a two-story house leaving people trapped inside, authorities reported. They also reported the collapse of telephone lines and lack of electricity in several sectors of the province, and the collapse of the old coastal dock.
Firefighters immediately launched rescue efforts for people trapped under the rubble.
President Guillermo Lasso called for calm and to “be informed through official channels”, in a message on his social networks. Lasso said that he communicated with the Secretariat of Risk Management “to evaluate the effects” of the earthquake that occurred in Balao, Guayas.
The president and his cabinet activated the National Emergency Operations Committee in Guayaquil to evaluate the effects caused by the tremor.
International
Nicolás Maduro’s Son Calls U.S. Trial Against His Father and Cilia Flores “Unjust”
Venezuelan lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra on Wednesday described as “unjust” the legal proceedings in the United States against his father, ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, following their capture in Caracas on January 3 by U.S. forces.
“Faced with the unjust trial taking place today, the people raised their voices with a single demand: We demand the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and the First Lady,” Maduro Guerra wrote on his Instagram account.
The lawmaker attended a rally in Caracas where supporters of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)gathered to show support for the former president, who faces charges in the United States including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine importation. Flores is accused of crimes related to drug trafficking and weapons possession.
The event was also attended by PSUV Vice President for Mobilizations and Events Nahum Fernández and Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, according to photos shared by Maduro’s son.
The third hearing in the case against Maduro and Flores concluded Wednesday at a federal court in New York after lasting only about 18 minutes. During the hearing, the judge preliminarily set June 2027 as the expected start date for the trial.
One of the main arguments from the defense will focus on immunity. Maduro’s lead attorney, Barry Pollack, who has also represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said the defense plans to request immunity for both defendants, arguing that Maduro was serving as head of state and Flores as first lady at the time of their detention.
Both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty during their first court appearance in New York on January 5.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power after Maduro’s capture, has not yet commented on Wednesday’s hearing in the United States.
International
Mexico Files 20 Complaints in U.S. Over Deaths of 17 Citizens During ICE Operations
The Mexican government announced that it has filed 20 legal complaints across different jurisdictions in the United States seeking investigations into the deaths of 17 Mexican citizens who died since May 2025 during immigration enforcement operations or while in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Mexico’s Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) reported that the complaints were submitted on July 13 by Mexico’s ambassador to the United States, Roberto Lazzeri. Of the total, eight cases were filed with state prosecutors’ offices and 12 with county prosecutors’ offices in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas.
According to the Mexican government, the legal actions seek to clarify the circumstances surrounding each death and determine whether any immigration authorities may bear responsibility.
During meetings with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE, Ambassador Lazzeri expressed Mexico’s concerns over conditions in immigration detention centers, including privately operated facilities, and requested thorough investigations into every case.
In addition to the complaints filed in the United States, Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry sent a communication to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, informing him of the deaths and requesting that the UN gather information, assess the situation under international human rights standards, and issue recommendations to prevent similar incidents.
The SRE also stated that Mexico’s consular network continues to provide support to the families of the deceased citizens, including legal assistance, help with repatriation of remains, and other procedures requested by relatives.
The announcement comes after the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araújo, a Mexican citizen who died after being shot by ICE agents during an immigration operation in Texas. The case has gained additional attention after a federal judge in Houston ordered a halt to the deportation of José Trinidad Rojas Pliego, considered a key witness in the incident.
Mexican authorities reiterated that they will continue using all available legal and diplomatic mechanisms to monitor the investigations and defend the rights of Mexican citizens in U.S. territory.
International
India Approves New Dengue Vaccine as Global Cases Continue to Rise
India has approved a new dengue vaccine as health authorities seek to strengthen prevention efforts against a mosquito-borne viral disease that affects millions of people worldwide every year.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), half of the global population is currently at risk of contracting dengue, which causes between 100 million and 400 million infections annually.
Since 2021, India has recorded more than one million dengue cases, including at least 1,500 deaths.
The virus can cause high fever, severe headaches, muscle pain, nausea, skin rashes and, in rare cases, internal bleeding and death.
The vaccine, authorized by India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), was developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda. The Indian Health Ministry said the vaccine is recommended in two doses for people between 4 and 60 years old.
The treatment has already been approved by health authorities in around 40 countries worldwide.
Meanwhile, Indian pharmaceutical company Panacea Biotec has begun the final phase of clinical trials for a single-dose dengue vaccine, aiming to provide another prevention option against the disease.
Brazil recently announced the suspension of the use of another single-dose dengue vaccine developed in the country after two suspected deaths were reported.
Nicolás Maduro’s Son Calls U.S. Trial Against His Father and Cilia Flores “Unjust”
Mexico Files 20 Complaints in U.S. Over Deaths of 17 Citizens During ICE Operations
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