International
The spiritual and social legacy in Peru of Pope Leo XIV
In addition to being simple and close, the new Pope Leo XIV stood out in his previous stage as bishop of Peru for his management capacity and being a social actor. Among his legacy, the oxygen plant he managed to install in the middle of the pandemic or his effort to declare a small town in the Diocese as a Eucharistic capital will be remembered.
It seems that in sunny Chiclayo, the Peruvian town where he was bishop for eight years, everyone met Robert Prevost. Neighbors show proud photos with him at a holiday, in church or in educational institutions, and all are good words towards him.
But beyond being known among citizens, and his taste for local food, León XIV led numerous initiatives and projects that last today in Peru.
From the headquarters of Cáritas Chiclayo, its general secretary, José Alejandro Castillo, reminds EFE of some milestones of the American’s passage through this diocese, which show how he knew how to move between public and private entities and even the Armed Forces to help the most needy.
“During the covid-19 pandemic, one of his concerns was the lack of oxygen and he made a very large campaign, in such a way that he not only got an oxygen plant, but two plants,” Castillo says next to said infrastructure.
He says that for months many people died in Peru due to the lack of oxygen in hospitals, which raised its price to the stars, something that disturbed Prevost and so he began a virtual fundraising campaign to get an oxygen plant and install it in Caritas for those who needed it.
He details that the lines were very long throughout the day due to the enormous demand, but his plan could save the lives of Chiclayanos desperate to get oxygen.
Castillo also remembers how León XIV knew how to get funds and help from the Armed Forces to build housing modules for people who had lost their homes due to the great floods caused by the El Niño Phenomenon in 2017.
In fact, a photo of Prevost with rubber boots in the middle of an infinite brown puddle formed by the floods that destroyed part of northern Peru has gone viral.
He also highlighted the line of work promoted by the then bishop to help Venezuelan migration that arrives from the northern border of the country, both to people who are passing through, and those who settle in the city.
“They are helped with the procedures so that they can regularize their situation here in this country, and above all, they can get work for their own support,” says the priest, adding that his concern for migrants was outstanding.
A few kilometers south of the city, a small and humble town called Eten could change its destiny thanks to the action of Leo XIV, because in 2019 he brought to Pope Francis the request to declare it as ‘Eucharistic capital’, for a miracle that occurred in 1649.
The Parish of Santa María Magdalena worships the Divine Child of the Miracle, where neighbors and visitors come with fervor and more than 20,000 handwritten testimonies of faith accumulate, which Prevost taught to the previous pope.
While a woman leaves next to the colorful image of the Child Jesus the photo of her sick son, Noemí Ñiquen, a member of the parish, tells EFE that Bishop Prevost visited this peculiar church and its community many times.
“I visited our town a lot, I knew the people and their problems. She knows that this town is full of faith, of religious tradition, that’s why we love him very much here and we are sure that his first visit to Peru will be to recognize Eten as a Eucharistic city,” she said enthusiastically.
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.
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