International
Floods in southern Brazil put the public health system in check
Floods in southern Brazil have pushed the precarious public health system to the limit, with hospitals surrounded by water, patients being transferred to haste and dozens of outpatient clinics affected by this climate catastrophe, which so far leaves 156 dead and 94 missing.
The rains that have hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul since the end of April have submerged a large part of the municipality of Canoas, one of the most affected. Two-thirds of the population was evacuated and one of the city’s hospitals is still surrounded by water.
At the Hospital of Pronto Socorro Diputado Nelson Marchezan the water has almost completely blocked the entrance of visitors. A refrigerator floats around. “He’s lost,” in the words of Mayor Jairo Jorge.
The impact on the regional health structure has been tremendous.
According to initial calculations by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, at least 801 health posts in 123 cities were totally or partially flooded.
Some basic care units are completely destroyed. For this reason, several field hospitals have been set up urgently, some managed by the Armed Forces.
“We have a fairly large volume (of patients),” Cecilia Soster, a nurse responsible for the field hospital built in Porto Alegre, tells EFE.
The Army installed another one in the town of São Leopoldo, where about half of the health posts are closed.
“We are doing an average of 100-120 consultations per day,” says Lieutenant-Conel Frederico Fuhrmeister, the doctor who coordinates the unit.
In addition, in the first days of the disaster there was no drinking water and there were serious problems with the supply of medicines because many roads were closed and the international airport of Porto Alegre, the regional capital, closed, with the forecast that it will only work again from September.
Organ transplants were paralyzed for two weeks and resumed again thanks to the use of helicopters borrowed by other states.
“It is the biggest climate catastrophe experienced in Rio Grande do Sul. Many healthcare services have been affected,” Roberta Vanacôr, head of Epidemiological Surveillance of Rio Grande do Sul, tells EFE.
Faced with this, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday a package of 66.5 million reais (13 million dollars / 12 million euros) to reactivate flooded hospitals, increase health surveillance and expand the number of beds, among other actions.
On the other hand, large floods also lead to the possible appearance of outbreaks of diseases caused by waters contaminated by animals or even pesticides, something that worries the health authorities.
“We have many agricultural areas with reserves of agrotoxics that have been flooded,” warns Carlos Machado, of the Center for Studies and Research of Emergencies and Disasters in Health of the Fiocruz institute.
The possible appearance of cases of hepatitis A, acute diarrhea and leptospirosis is also feared. Vanacôr reveals that they have already received “suspicious samples” of this disease that is transmitted by contact with water contaminated by the urine of infected animals.
Respiratory syndromes are also worrying, not counting the impact on mental health. Regarding influenza, they have been arrested to vaccinate the more than 77,000 people who have had to leave their homes and today live in shelters.
The crowds and low temperatures of this time of year in this region are the perfect breeding ground for respiratory infections.
But it also adds that Brazil is going through the worst dengue epidemic since there are records, with almost five million cases and about 2,800 deaths since the beginning of the year, according to official data.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito, transmitter of the disease, proliferates in places with accumulated water and 90% of the municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul are affected by the floods.
Vanacôr clarifies that the cold shortens the life cycle of the mosquito, but warns that just a sequence of milder temperatures is enough for there to be an increase in dengue cases.
Central America
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, representing the state of Maryland, held a meeting in El Salvador with deported MS-13 gang member Kilmar Ábrego García, a member of the criminal group classified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
“Kilmar Ábrego García, miraculously resurrected from the ‘extermination camps’ and ‘torture chambers,’ now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” wrote President Nayib Bukeleon X (formerly Twitter), sharing photos of Van Hollen, Ábrego García, and a lawyer sitting together at a Salvadoran hotel.
The deported gang member is seen wearing a plaid shirt and a flat-brimmed cap, seated at a table with glasses and coffee cups. The senator also shared images of the meeting on his own social media accounts.
Bukele reaffirmed that Ábrego will remain in El Salvador and will not be returned to the United States.
“Now that his health has been confirmed, he has earned the honor of remaining under the custody of El Salvador,” Bukele added.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the senator’s meeting with Ábrego on Truth Social, calling Van Hollen “a fool” for advocating for Ábrego’s return to the U.S.
International
Pope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom
Pope Francis, still recovering from pneumonia, appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Easter Sunday and, with a faint voice, wished a “Happy Easter” to the thousands of faithful gathered to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.
A month after being discharged from a lengthy hospital stay, the presence of the 88-year-old pontiff had remained uncertain, with the Vatican not confirming his attendance ahead of time.
Eventually, the pope made a brief appearance in a wheelchair shortly after 12:00 p.m. (10:00 GMT) to deliver his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing (“to the city and to the world”).
Although no longer wearing an oxygen cannula, the Argentine Jesuit relied on a close aide to read his Easter message, which touched on major global conflicts.
Francis condemned the “dramatic and unworthy humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and called for a ceasefire, while also expressing concern over the “growing climate of antisemitism spreading across the globe.”
He further emphasized the importance of religious freedom and freedom of thought, stating that without mutual respect, “peace is not possible.”
International
Thousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
Thousands of protesters gathered on Saturday (April 19, 2025) in major cities like New York and Washington, as well as in small communities across the United States, in a second wave of demonstrations against President Donald Trump. The crowds denounced what they view as growing threats to the country’s democratic ideals.
In New York City, demonstrators of all ages rallied in front of the Public Library near Trump Tower, holding signs accusing the president of undermining democratic institutions and judicial independence.
Many protesters also criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policies, including mass deportations and raids targeting undocumented migrants.
“Democracy is in grave danger,” said Kathy Valyi, 73, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. She told AFP that the stories her parents shared about Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1930s Germany “are happening here now.”
In Washington, demonstrators voiced concern over what they see as Trump’s disregard for long-standing constitutional norms, such as the right to due process.
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
Pope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom
Thousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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