International

Borrell emphasizes that the EU can help Spain in the face of losses and damage caused by DANA

The High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, stressed on Wednesday that the community club can help Spain in the face of losses and damage caused by the damage through the civil protection mechanism and the European Solidarity Fund for natural disasters.

“Europe can help through the European Civil Protection Mechanism and the European Solidarity Fund against natural disasters, given the enormous amount of material damage and loss of human lives,” said the Spanish politician at a press conference.

“Europe can help through the European civil protection mechanism and the European Solidarity Fund against natural disasters, given the enormous amount of material damage and loss of human lives,” said the Spanish politician at the beginning of a press conference to report on the progress of the candidates for accession to the EU.

Cooperation in the field of civil protection

The European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism aims to strengthen cooperation on civil protection between the Member States of the Community club and ten other countries, in order to provide a better response to disasters.

The EU Solidarity Fund, meanwhile, allows the Community club to provide financial assistance to a Member State affected by a serious natural disaster.

20250301_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

Borrell stressed that what happened in Spain “recalls the urgency of the fight against climate change because the high temperature of the Mediterranean is one of the causes of the increase of these extreme phenomena, which are increasingly frequent and increasingly extreme.”

The head of community diplomacy wanted to express his “condolences” for those who died in the floods.

“It is a storm of unprecedented intensity in decades and with many missing people who I hope can be located alive,” said Borrell, who also referred to the “many material damages.”

Solidarity of the European Commission

The former minister expressed the solidarity of the European Commission “with those affected by this tragedy” and also his gratitude to all the emergency services: firefighters, local police, civil protection, armed forces, the National Police and the Civil Guard, who “with so much commitment and professionalism are dedicated to saving lives.”

For his part, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, said today that the EU is willing to “help even more” to Spain.

20250301_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

At the request of the Government of Pedro Sánchez, the EU activated the Copérnicus satellite service for “an emergency mapping” of the affected areas, Lenarcic added in his profile of the social network X.

The commissioner sent his “most heartfelt condolences to the families and friends who have lost their loved ones in these devastating floods in east of Spain.”

International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

20250301_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.

International

Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations

A federal appeals court upheld the block on former President Donald Trump’s use of the Enemy Alien Act on Wednesday, preventing him from using the law to expedite deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.

With a 2-1 ruling, a panel from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed previous decisions by two lower court judges, maintaining the legal standoff between the White House and the judiciary.

On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Enemy Alien Act, a law traditionally used during wartime, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons.

The centuries-old law grants the president the power to detain, restrict, and expel foreign nationals from a country engaged in a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States, following a public proclamation.