International
15 people killed in storm in Buenos Aires, Argentina
December 18 |
Argentine authorities confirmed Sunday that the death toll from the storm that has hit the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) since the early hours of the morning has risen to 15.
These are a woman in the town of Moreno, who perished crushed by a tree branch, and another person in Coronel Rosales, who drowned after falling on the public road into a well full of water.
“From the municipality we deeply regret the death of a neighbor of Moreno Sur. She has not yet been identified. The scientific police is working at the scene,” said the Buenos Aires municipality of Moreno in a statement.
The storm broke out in the early hours of the morning and initially left 13 people dead, among them a minor, due to the collapse of part of the roof of the Bahiense del Norte club, in Bahía Blanca.
There have also been reports of roofs and billboards being blown off, trees and electricity poles falling, which have affected the power supply and land communication routes.
Another 13 people were hospitalized early Sunday morning “with polytraumatisms, skull traumatisms and thorax fractures” after the explosion of the tent of a bar and restaurant named “La Isla de Battuta”, located in the Palermo Racetrack.
Towards midday, police and Buenos Aires Government sources announced to local media that at least five of these people had been discharged.
It was also reported that three other people were slightly injured at a party held at the Geba club.
On this day, the Buenos Aires authorities met with the presence of the president, Javier Milei, to assess the damages that have occurred so far.
In this regard, the Minister of Health of the Province of Buenos Aires, Nicolás Kreplak, recommended citizens to keep themselves informed, avoid unnecessary traffic, stay in safe places and have at hand the emergency telephone numbers provided by the municipalities.
On the other hand, the territory’s Civil Defense director, Fabían García, assured that they have been working together since early morning with the Minister (of Security) Javier Alonso, and there are 300 police firefighters, Civil Defense, Rescue and other police squads to attend to emergencies.
Due to the storm, several local flights that were to depart or land at the Metropolitan Aeroparque or Ezeiza air terminal were suspended or delayed between 03H00 and 08H00 (local time) this Sunday.
Meanwhile, international flights scheduled to arrive between 07H00 and 08H30 (local time) at the same Aeroparque, were diverted.
The National Meteorological Service (SMN) announced that the storm will extend throughout Sunday, with wind gusts between 42 and 50 kilometers per hour.
International
Mexico, Brazil and Colombia left out of Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” summit
Left-wing governments in Latin America, including Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, were excluded from the “Shield of the Americas” summit convened by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The meeting, held in Miami, Florida, brought together 12 presidents from across the continent to discuss strategies to combat drug cartels and organized crime.
In Mexico’s case, President Claudia Sheinbaum had recently rejected the use of military force as a solution to the drug trafficking problem. She has argued that her administration’s security strategy is producing results and emphasized that force alone is not the answer.
During the summit, Trump said that most narcotics entering the United States come through Mexico and referred to his previous conversations with Sheinbaum on the issue.
“I like the president very much, she’s a very good person,” Trump said. “But I told her: ‘Let me eradicate the cartels.’ And she said, ‘No, no, no, please, president.’ We have to eradicate them. We have to finish them.”
The remarks highlighted ongoing differences between Washington and Mexico over how to confront drug trafficking networks operating across the region.
International
Trump announces 17-nation alliance in the Americas to “destroy” drug cartels
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday the creation of a 17-nation alliance across the Americas aimed at dismantling drug cartels, during a regional summit held at his golf club in Doral.
Speaking to a group of allied leaders at the Shield of the Americas Summit, Trump said the initiative would rely on military force to eliminate powerful criminal networks operating throughout the hemisphere.
“The heart of our agreement is the commitment to use lethal military force to destroy these sinister cartels and terrorist networks. Once and for all, we will put an end to them,” Trump told the assembled heads of state.
The Republican leader argued that large portions of territory in the Western Hemisphere have fallen under the control of transnational gangs and pledged U.S. support to governments seeking to confront them. He even suggested the potential use of highly precise missiles against cartel leaders.
Before making the announcement, Trump greeted the roughly twelve leaders attending the summit, including close allies such as Javier Milei, Daniel Noboa and Nayib Bukele, whom he described as a “great president.”
The meeting forms part of Trump’s broader regional strategy inspired by his reinterpretation of the Monroe Doctrine, which seeks to reinforce Washington’s influence in the Americas, strengthen security cooperation and counter the growing presence of powers such as China.
Trump pointed to recent U.S. actions in the region as examples of his administration’s approach, including the operation that led to the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
The summit also takes place amid escalating international tensions following the conflict launched last week by the United States and Israel against Iran.
International
Trump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday the departure of Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, one of the key architects of the administration’s policy of deporting undocumented immigrants.
Noem, who has been assigned a new role as a “special envoy” to Latin America, will be replaced starting March 31 by Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, the president said in a message posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
According to media reports, Trump made the decision after Noem’s recent hearings in Congress, during which she faced tough questions regarding the awarding of a major public contract.
Mexico, Brazil and Colombia left out of Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” summit
Trump announces 17-nation alliance in the Americas to “destroy” drug cartels
Trump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin
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