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
Wildfires in France Burn Nearly Three Times More Land Than in 2025, Interior Minister Says
More than 50,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by wildfires across France since the beginning of the year, nearly three times the area affected during the same period in 2025, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Friday in an interview with AFP.
Emergency crews are currently battling several major fires, including one near the popular Cap Ferret peninsula, where flames have already consumed more than 10,000 hectares, making it the largest wildfire of the season so far, according to the minister.
“Currently, we have 32 fires underway, which obviously do not all have the same level of importance,” Nuñez said.
“We have exceeded the threshold of 50,000 hectares burned since January 1 of this year. It is practically three times more than during the same period last year,” he added.
Despite the extensive resources deployed and the long hours worked by emergency teams — estimated to be two and a half times higher than last year — Nuñez said authorities remain “calm” and “determined” to contain the situation.
The minister acknowledged that the main concern is the fatigue affecting firefighters and emergency personnel who have been working under demanding conditions.
“The concern, if there has to be one, obviously lies in the state of exhaustion of the men and women who are committed. We have to hold on throughout the entire season,” Nuñez said.
France’s late spring and early summer have been marked by repeated periods of extreme heat, conditions linked by scientists to climate change and considered a major factor contributing to the increase in wildfire activity across the country.
International
Israel Says Saudi Recognition Would Mark ‘Historic Breakthrough’ for Middle East Peace
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Israel would represent a “historic breakthrough” toward achieving peace in the Middle East.
The statement came after the United States and Saudi Arabia announced an agreement on Wednesday to establish a civil nuclear program in the kingdom. U.S. President Donald Trump said the initiative would be linked to Riyadh’s decision to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.
“Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords would represent a historic breakthrough toward peace in the Middle East,” Netanyahu’s office said following Trump’s announcement.
The statement added that recent developments, including joint military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as Israel’s efforts against what it described as Iran’s “terror axis,” have created new opportunities to expand regional diplomatic ties.
“The joint U.S.-Israeli military action against the genocidal regime in Tehran and Israel’s defeat of Iran’s terror axis have created the possibility of expanding the circle of peace,” the statement said.
A potential normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would represent a major diplomatic shift in the region, as Riyadh has long been viewed as one of the key countries whose formal recognition could significantly reshape Middle Eastern relations.
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.
Wildfires in France Burn Nearly Three Times More Land Than in 2025, Interior Minister Says
Israel Says Saudi Recognition Would Mark ‘Historic Breakthrough’ for Middle East Peace
Honduras Warns of Possible New Dengue Epidemic as Cases Continue to Rise
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoControversial Pesticide Law Passes in France, Sparking Ecological Concerns and Ministerial Fallout
-
Central America2 days agoCDC Issues Level 2 Travel Alert for Costa Rica Amid Chikungunya Outbreak
-
International5 days agoIran Says It Is in “Full-Scale War” as U.S. Launches Ninth Consecutive Night of Airstrikes
-
Sports4 days agoMLS Awaits Blockbuster Debuts as Griezmann and Lewandowski Join the Spotlight
-
International4 days agoU.S. Sends First Humanitarian Aid Flight to Cuba Amid Ongoing Tensions Between Both Governments
-
International5 days agoFrench Parliament Moves to Approve Social Media Age Limit for Minors
-
International5 days agoWHO to Hold New Round of Talks After Slow Progress on Pandemic Accord
-
International3 days agoMexico Files 20 Complaints in U.S. Over Deaths of 17 Citizens During ICE Operations
-
International4 days agoIndia Approves New Dengue Vaccine as Global Cases Continue to Rise
-
International3 days agoNicolás Maduro’s Son Calls U.S. Trial Against His Father and Cilia Flores “Unjust”
-
Central America2 days agoHonduras Warns of Possible New Dengue Epidemic as Cases Continue to Rise
-
International12 hours agoWildfires in France Burn Nearly Three Times More Land Than in 2025, Interior Minister Says
-
International12 hours agoIsrael Says Saudi Recognition Would Mark ‘Historic Breakthrough’ for Middle East Peace