International

Controversy in Chile over a report that says Piñera was not wearing a seat belt in his fatal accident

The companions of former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera on his helicopter trip through a lake in southern Chile, where the ship capsized in a fatal accident just ten months ago, assured this Saturday that the former president, who died of “suffocation by suffocation”, did use his seat belt at the time of the event, contradicting a preliminary report from the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC).

“At the time of the accident, the helicopter pilot (Sebastián Piñera) was wearing the seat belt, as were the other three passengers,” said his daughter Magdalena Piñera, in addition to his friend Ignacio Guerrero and his son, Bautista Guerrero, in a public statement.

“We sent this statement only in order to clarify the information delivered yesterday (Friday) regarding a preliminary report of the DGAC,” added the three companions who managed to save themselves.

With or without a seat belt?

The preliminary document released by the DGAC on Friday revealed that Piñera, pilot of the helicopter, “was without his safety harness and died at the scene of the incident.”

The person in charge of rescuing the former president’s body, firefighter Ricardo González, stated after the accident that “the extraction was not complex,” due to the favorable conditions of temperature, water, wind and depth, and that the former president “was free, without the belt, on the side of the helicopter.”

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The former Chilean president died on February 6 at the age of 74 while piloting a helicopter that rushed over Lake Ranco, an exclusive spa more than 800 kilometers south of the capital where he spent the summers with his family.

The first conclusions of the investigation into the causes of the accident are expected to be known in February 2025, when one year after the event has been made.

Piñera was the first right-wing politician to come to power after the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). He ruled for two non-consecutive terms (2010-2014 and 2018-2022) and his unexpected death caused a deep shock in Chilean society.

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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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.