Hurricane Fiona wreaks havoc on the Caribbean
September 20, 2022
On the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria hitting Puerto Rico - the worst natural disaster to hit the island in history - Puerto Rico suffered yet another hurricane, harming homes, access to clean water, and the already unstable electric infrastructure, reports The Guardian. Hurricane Fiona, which reached maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, is predicted to reach a Category 3 level or higher today, and is expected to hit Turks and Caicos and potentially other neighboring islands, according to estimates from the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane began passing through the Dominican Republic yesterday, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency in eight provinces, says the New York Times. Four fatalities attributed to the hurricane have been declared, reports AccuWeather.
Puerto Rico’s electricity infrastructure, already damaged from previous disasters, has struggled to bring power to many parts of the island. Over 1.3 million customers remain without power as of yesterday morning, according to the Wall Street Journal, leaving 85% of the island in the dark. Over the weekend, when the hurricane hit, over 1.5 million people were without power. There are over 300 US federal personnel already on the island providing disaster relief efforts, and more will arrive in the coming days, President Joe Biden told Puerto Rican governor Pedro Pierluisi. Disaster relief efforts are set to be coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local agencies. Puerto Rico will suffer an estimated $10 billion in economic damage, according to AccuWeather estimates.
More Natural Disasters
A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico’s central Pacific coast yesterday, reports the US Geologic Survey. The temblor, which hit the country on the anniversary of two previous devastating quakes, hit early afternoon near the states of Colima and Michoacan. Some damage to buildings was reported, as was one fatality, according to AP. Mexico has also been hit with volcanic ash and a potential tsunami, according to The Guardian and journalist Ioan Grillo on Twitter.
Argentina
The IMF announced Argentina reached most of its goals in the April - June timeframe and approved a second revision of its deal with the country, reports Infobae. Once the revision is completed and approved by the IMF Executive Board, Argentina will receive access to approximately $3.9 billion. (IMF)
Brazil
Although Lula presents a far more environmentally friendly platform than Bolsonaro, he will still face challenges in trying to protect the Amazon should he be elected in October, writes James Bosworth at WPR.
The Bolsonaro-allied Centrão is making connections with the Lula campaign, reports Globo. Elsewhere, Edir Macedo, leader of the evangelical church Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus, is quietly preparing to abandon Bolsonaro as it becomes clear that Lula is likely to win the presidency, reveals The Intercept.
Although Lula is not the radical Bolsonaro seeks to portray him as, he will face economic challenges far more difficult than that of his first two terms as president, says The Economist, arguing that “many economists are uneasy about the return of a leader who believes that the state should be the motor of economic growth.”
Ecuador
An Ecuadorian hate crimes prosecutor was murdered in Guayaquil outside of his workplace yesterday, reports BA Times.
Honduras
“Deep ties between the Honduran state and criminal organizations operating in the country created a challenging environment for the new incumbent to decouple state institutions from organized crime. However, the Castro administration has had mixed progress on improving the country’s security, and there are signs that drug trafficking and other illicit activities continue to flourish in Honduras,” according to The Latin America Risk Report.
Mexico
Extortion leaves Mexicans with three options: pay, leave, or die, writes Romain Le Cour Grandmaison at El País, noting that 97.4% of extortions are not reported.
Organized crime’s new racket is taking advantage of the solar industry, extorting and kidnapping technicians installing solar panels in rural areas, reports Reforma.
Migration
Panamanian authorities report providing medical attention to around 1,000 Venezuelan migrants a day that have the Darien Gap, notes Proyecto Migración Venezuela.
Regional
Deep political polarization, growing inflation, and economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic are posing risks to Latin America’s incumbent politicians and, in certain countries, posing risks to democracy itself, says Reuters.
Venezuela
The UN Human Rights Council outlines the findings of their report on crimes against humanity in Venezuela, to be presented to the council on September 26.
A year after last September’s negotiations in Mexico fizzled out, a partial agreement on social assistance and humanitarian issues could bring the government and opposition back to the table, says Crónica Uno.