International

Cuba records just under 13,000 earthquakes in 2024, a record year of earthquakes

The National Center for Seismological Research (Cenais) of Cuba reported on Monday that 2024 was the year with the highest number of earthquakes recorded -12,806- which are attributed to the occurrence of the three strong tremors that shook the east of the island.

Cenais documented – until the end of 2024 – 8,873 aftershocks of the two earthquakes of magnitude 6 and 6.7 degrees on the Richter scale recorded on November 10 40 kilometers southeast of the town of Pilón, in the province of Granma.

These two movements left 10 people injured and more than 8,600 homes damaged, of which 156 with total collapses and almost 6,000 with minor effects, according to a preliminary report by the Cuban Executive.

Another earthquake, of magnitude 6.1 degrees, shook the municipality of Guamá, in the province of Santiago de Cuba, on December 23. This added 446 aftershocks and its effects left damage to more than 90 homes and four state buildings.

The head of the Cenais Seismological Service, Enrique Arango Arias, explained in an annual summary, that these three earthquakes have occurred in a sector of the Oriente fault, characterized by a predominant sliding movement in the left lateral course.

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According to the expert, in the previous year 20 perceptible earthquakes were officially reported, 10 of them in the Santiago-Baconao area, five in the eastern towns of Moa and Baracoa, Sibanicú (center-east) and Varadero (west).

Another five earthquakes were perceived in the Pilón-Chivirico area (southwest), where the three strong earthquakes mentioned are included.

The Caribbean island recorded a total of 7,475 earthquakes in 2023, of which 14 were perceptible and the magnitudes ranged from less than 3 to 5.9.

About 70% of earthquakes are reported in this East fault, located along the southeast coast of the island.

Cuba is located in a region – which extends from the Dominican Republic to Mexico – in which different systems of tectonic faults converge with important seismic activity.

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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.

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“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.