Tag: Americas

Argentina’s ‘First Fan’ Reached Qatar 6 Months Early

BUENOS AIRES—Argentina’s self-styled “first fan” Marcelo Martinez is so keen to see Lionel Messi and team mates at the World Cup that he arrived in Qatar six months early. The first traveling Argentinian fan—and possibly the first visiting fan full stop—flew into Doha on May 3 with his blue-and-white wig, and has been having a…


Hurricane Roslyn Makes Landfall in Mexico, Avoids Resorts

MEXICO CITY—Hurricane Roslyn slammed into a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico’s Pacific coast between the resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan Sunday morning, then declined to tropical storm force and quickly moved inland. By Sunday morning, Roslyn had winds of 70 mph (110 kph), down from its peak of 130 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane…


6 Feared Dead in Small Plane Crash Off Costa Rica

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica—Six people, apparently including the German businessman behind Gold’s Gym, were feared dead Saturday after a small plane crashed into the Caribbean just off the Costa Rican coast. All five passengers were believed to be German citizens, Security Minister Jorge Torres said. The plane’s pilot was Swiss. At least one other of…


Major Hurricane Roslyn Heads for Hit on Mexico’s Coast

MEXICO CITY—Hurricane Roslyn grew to Category 3 force on Saturday as it headed for a collision with Mexico’s Pacific coast, likely north of the resort of Puerto Vallarta. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Roslyn’s maximum sustained winds had increased to 120 mph (195 kph) early Saturday, and it was expected to grow still further….


Fuel Truck Crash Sparks Huge Fire in Mexico, Hundreds Evacuated

MEXICO CITY—A huge blaze erupted in central Mexico on Thursday when a fuel tanker truck crashed into an overpass by a rail line, scorching homes, engulfing the area in thick smoke and leading to a mass evacuation, but there were no fatalities, authorities said. Video footage of the fire on social media showed a cargo…


Storm Roslyn Likely to Strengthen to Hurricane Near Mexican Tourism Spots

MEXICO CITY—Tropical storm Roslyn is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane by late on Friday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, as it moves up central Mexico towards tourist resorts on its Pacific coast. Hurricane conditions could hit the coast between San Blas, on Mexico’s Nayarit Riviera, down to Perula beach in Jalisco state,…


US Taxpayers Funding ‘Drag Theater’ Shows in Ecuador to Promote ‘Diversity and Inclusion’: State Department

The U.S. State Department has given $20,600 in taxpayer money to an organization in Ecuador to promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion through a series of initiatives that include hosting “12 drag theater performances.” The funds were awarded on Sept. 30 to a non-profit called Centro Cultural Ecuatoriano Norteamericano Abraham Lincoln, a U.S.-Ecuadorian cultural center in…


US Sanctions Logistics Allies of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel

MEXICO CITY—The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned individuals linked to Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, days after bilateral security talks aimed at cracking down on trafficking of fentanyl and other contraband. The Treasury said Juan Francisco Valenzuela and his family-run drug organization are accused of transporting “multi-ton quantities of illicit drugs” into the United…


Strong 6.7 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Western Panama

PANAMA CITY—A strong 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook western Panama early Thursday, though there were no initial reports of damage. Panama’s national civil defense agency said via Twitter that the earthquake was felt in Herrera, Bocas del Toro, Veraguas, and western Panama. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.2 miles…


Talk of an EU-Style Governance of the Americas Raises Red Flags With Congressman

Mexico’s president said he has been discussing with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken the possibility of merging the American continent into an EU-style of governance. “Mr. Blinken talked about consolidating the North American region, and we agreed on that,” President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said during a press conference last month. “Not only did…