International
Mexican Navy recognizes Claudia Sheinbaum as the future “supreme commander” of the Armed Forces
The president-elect of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, who will assume power on October 1, was recognized by the head of the Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico, Rafael Ojeda, as the “future supreme commander” of the Armed Forces.
At an event in the city of Matías Romero, in the state of Oaxaca, together with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, with whom he traveled on the train of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), which connects the Pacific with the Atlantic, Sheinbaum welcomed that distinction.
In Mexico, according to the Mexican Army and Air Force Law, the supreme command of the Mexican Army and Air Force corresponds to the President of the Republic – in this case in the future Sheinbaum – who will exercise it by himself or through the Secretary of National Defense; for this purpose, during his term he will be called “Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.”
“Doctor Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, President-elect of the United Mexican States and next supreme commander of the Armed Forces,” Ojeda said at the rally in the city of Matías Romero, Oaxaca, south of the country.
Previously, the director of the CIIT, Admiral Raymundo Morales, had made the same presentation of Sheinbaum, who on both occasions thanked the distinction.
Just last Tuesday, in his daily conference, López Obrador was questioned about whether the Armed Forces and the Mexican Army were prepared to have a supreme commander.
“Yes, they are prepared, but my opinion is that more progress is made. The results have been very good. I would not have been able to move forward as we did without the support of the Armed Forces. It was key, indispensable,” the president replied.
López Obrador and Sheinbaum arrived in Matías Romero after three hours of travel after boarding the train in Jáltipan, south of Veracruz, at 3:00 p.m. (21:00 GMT).
In his speech, López Obrador said to himself “very happy because the country will be in good hands, there will be continuity with change and we will continue with the transformation as Claudia expressed, all well-being programs will continue.”
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
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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