International
Cuba records just under 13,000 earthquakes in 2024, a record year of earthquakes
The National Center for Seismological Research (Cenais) of Cuba reported on Monday that 2024 was the year with the highest number of earthquakes recorded -12,806- which are attributed to the occurrence of the three strong tremors that shook the east of the island.
Cenais documented – until the end of 2024 – 8,873 aftershocks of the two earthquakes of magnitude 6 and 6.7 degrees on the Richter scale recorded on November 10 40 kilometers southeast of the town of Pilón, in the province of Granma.
These two movements left 10 people injured and more than 8,600 homes damaged, of which 156 with total collapses and almost 6,000 with minor effects, according to a preliminary report by the Cuban Executive.
Another earthquake, of magnitude 6.1 degrees, shook the municipality of Guamá, in the province of Santiago de Cuba, on December 23. This added 446 aftershocks and its effects left damage to more than 90 homes and four state buildings.
The head of the Cenais Seismological Service, Enrique Arango Arias, explained in an annual summary, that these three earthquakes have occurred in a sector of the Oriente fault, characterized by a predominant sliding movement in the left lateral course.
According to the expert, in the previous year 20 perceptible earthquakes were officially reported, 10 of them in the Santiago-Baconao area, five in the eastern towns of Moa and Baracoa, Sibanicú (center-east) and Varadero (west).
Another five earthquakes were perceived in the Pilón-Chivirico area (southwest), where the three strong earthquakes mentioned are included.
The Caribbean island recorded a total of 7,475 earthquakes in 2023, of which 14 were perceptible and the magnitudes ranged from less than 3 to 5.9.
About 70% of earthquakes are reported in this East fault, located along the southeast coast of the island.
Cuba is located in a region – which extends from the Dominican Republic to Mexico – in which different systems of tectonic faults converge with important seismic activity.
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.
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.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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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