International
Beryl causes damage, but without injuries or deaths, after making landfall in Mexico
Hurricane Beryl made landfall in the early morning of this Friday north of the municipality of Tulum, Quintana Roo, in the Mexican Caribbean, but so far no injuries or deaths have been reported, reported the Civil Protection Coordinator, Laura Velázquez.
“We have no reports so far of injured or deceased, I repeat they are preliminary data, we are in the aid phase,” the official said during a call made within the framework of the morning press conference of the president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Velázquez specified that the hurricane hit Quintana Roo at 05:05 local time (11:05 GMT) with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour and gusts of 220 kilometers per hour.
Now Beryl, who made landfall as a category 2 hurricane, degraded in the last hours to a tropical storm on the ground as it passed through the Mexican state of Yucatan (southeast), according to the National Meteorological Service (SMN) of Mexico.
“At this moment we are already in the aid phase, we are already making tours mainly in Tulum throughout the length and breadth of the municipality,” said the head of Civil Protection.
He pointed out that tours are being carried out to quantify the damage, although the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) has reported that in Tulum approximately 40% of the area is without electricity, while in Cozumel seven colonies have electrical energy effects.
In addition, in Isla Mujeres, 50% of homes are without electricity.
The SMN, said in its most recent report, that “Beryl is now a tropical storm. It is located on land over Yucatan and its cloudy bands maintain the probability of intense to torrential rains, intense winds, storm tide and high waves in the Yucatan Peninsula.
For his part, Velázquez specified that so far 58 temporary shelters have been enabled in which 2,193 people are housed who have hot food and “are being very well taken care of.”
He also reported that the airports of Tulum, Cozumel and Cancun did not suffer any affect.
The governor of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama, reported the fall of trees and affectations in the municipalities of Solidaridad and Benito Juárez, which are the most inhabited areas, in addition to some fall of fences (walls).
The authorities noted that in the area there are 25,611 elements deployed to collaborate in the rescue work, of which 4,150 are elements of the Ministry of National Defense, 1,128 of the Secretariat of the Navy, 4,451 of the National Guard and 2,189 of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE).
Meanwhile, López Obrador recommended that people do not go out because there are still fallen trees, which may pose a risk to the population.
Beryl is the first hurricane of the season and sets an “alarming precedent” because a cyclone of maximum intensity had never been formed at this point in the year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Tuesday.
Of the three cyclones that have occurred in this Atlantic season, Beryl would be the third to impact Mexico, where on Sunday tropical storm Chris entered, which left floods in the center and east of the country.
While storm Alberto, which made landfall on June 20, left six dead in Nuevo León, a state on the northern border of Mexico, and destruction and floods in Monterrey, the second most populous city in the country.
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
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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