International

Mexico conducts National Drill 2023 on anniversary of earthquakes

Photo: EFE

September 20 |

Mexico held this Tuesday the second earthquake drill of this 2023, just one year after the country was hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake, one of the largest recorded in that nation in recent years.

Likewise, on this day, the country remembers the anniversaries of the earthquakes that occurred in 1985 and 2017 of magnitudes 8.1 and 7.1, respectively.

According to statistics, some more than nine million people and at least 119,000 companies across the country participated in the simulation of a magnitude 8 earthquake in the southern state of Acapulco.

Two possible scenarios were also set up on the Zócalo square in the Mexican capital, one related to the collapse of a house and the other to a gas leak.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

According to the capital authorities, the technical means used in the event of building collapses were employed, even when there were no earthquakes.

In this sense, the head of government of Mexico City (capital), Martí Batres, described the second national drill as successful in his account on the social network X.

“We recognize and appreciate the participation of 8.6 million people and the registration of 23 thousand 980 properties for the drill. This is how we strengthen our prevention and reaction capabilities in the face of high magnitude earthquakes,” said the government official.

The development of this drill is the result of five years of coordinated work between federal and local authorities in Mexico, with the purpose of preparing citizens and showing the levels of response that can be offered in the event of a crisis situation caused by a powerful earthquake.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

International

White House says Cuba policy unchanged despite sanctioned fuel shipment

The White House said Monday that it has not changed its policy toward Cuba, despite allowing a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to the island on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. officials emphasized that the decision was made as an exception and does not signal a broader shift in policy.

The administration added that similar decisions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on humanitarian considerations.

The clarification comes amid ongoing restrictions related to U.S. sanctions policy, which continue to limit trade and financial flows involving Cuba.

International

Spain to grant citizenship to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

The Spanish government is expected to grant citizenship this Tuesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezthrough an extraordinary procedure known as “carta de naturaleza.”

The decision will be approved by royal decree, an exceptional legal mechanism used in special cases that require expedited resolution due to specific circumstances.

López has been living in Madrid since 2020, after leaving Venezuela following a prolonged political and legal conflict with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

According to government sources, López currently does not have a valid Venezuelan passport and faces difficulties in having his nationality fully recognized in his home country.

As a result, he applied for Spanish citizenship via a fast-track process at the end of 2025, after previously attempting to obtain it through regular procedures.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

The Spanish government justified the move based on López’s international relevance and foreign policy considerations.

López is the leader of the Voluntad Popular party and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an initiative launched in 2022 alongside figures such as Garry Kasparov and Masih Alinejad.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.