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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, September 18th 2026 - 23:31 UTC

Environment

  • Saturday, July 4th 2026 - 07:28 UTC

    US marks its 250th anniversary as a record heat wave disrupts July 4 events

    A heat dome over the East Coast pushed temperatures to highs near 40 °C, with heat-index values of up to 46 °C and more than 185 million people under weather alerts

    The United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence on Saturday amid a historic heat wave that has forced the suspension or rescheduling of events in several cities across the country. The semiquincentennial commemoration, recalling the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776, will have its centerpiece on the National Mall in Washington, with a speech by President Donald Trump and the largest fireworks display in history.

  • Friday, July 3rd 2026 - 07:47 UTC

    Snow blankets Mar del Plata as a record polar cold wave grips Argentina

    Hundreds of residents and tourists took to the streets to photograph the beaches, squares and parks turned white, and the images quickly went viral on social media

    The seaside city of Mar del Plata, one of the main tourist destinations on Argentina's Atlantic coast, woke up covered in snow on Thursday, an unusual sight for a temperate-climate city that became the most widely shared image of the intense polar cold wave sweeping the country. Thermometers read around 1 degree below zero, with a wind-chill close to -3 °C, and snow and sleet were recorded from the early hours in various parts of the General Pueyrredón district, with heavier accumulation in the Sierra de los Padres area.

  • Thursday, July 2nd 2026 - 15:32 UTC

    A multinational rescue frees Hernán, trapped eight days under Venezuela's quake rubble

    Gil, who worked as a guard in the underground parking garage of a shopping mall, survived by sheltering under the desk of his booth when the building collapsed

    A 43-year-old Venezuelan security guard, Hernán Gil, was rescued alive on Thursday after eight days trapped under the rubble of a building that collapsed in Catia La Mar, in La Guaira state, during the twin earthquake that struck the country on June 24. The Costa Rican Red Cross, which took part in the operation, confirmed the rescue, considered one of the most complex and prolonged of the disaster, which has left at least 2,295 dead and more than 11,000 injured, according to the official toll.

  • Tuesday, June 30th 2026 - 22:08 UTC

    Chilean rescuers allege military harassment in Venezuela's quake zone

    According to Lermanda's account to Venezuelan and Chilean media, soldiers have repeatedly demanded identity documents from his 46 rescuers, on suspicion of espionage

    The leader of the Topos Chile rescue group, Francisco Lermanda, alleged that his teams deployed in the Venezuelan state of La Guaira have been harassed by soldiers during search operations in the area hardest hit by the June 24 twin earthquake, which according to the official toll has left at least 1,943 dead. The Venezuelan authorities have not commented on the accusations.

  • Sunday, June 28th 2026 - 20:51 UTC

    Why Venezuela's earthquake was so deadly: shallow, powerful and just seconds apart

    The satellite images that have gradually emerged confirm a trail of collapsed buildings along the coast, the most densely populated and hardest-hit area

    The combination of two powerful, very shallow earthquakes just 39 seconds apart explains much of the devastation left by Wednesday's earthquake in north-central Venezuela, where the latest official toll exceeds 1,450 dead and 3,150 injured. The satellite images that have gradually emerged confirm a trail of collapsed buildings along the coast, the most densely populated and hardest-hit area.

  • Saturday, June 27th 2026 - 09:21 UTC

    Venezuela's earthquake toll rises to at least 920 dead as rescuers race against time

    Despite the time elapsed, teams were still rescuing people alive

    The number of victims from the twin earthquake that struck north-central Venezuela on Wednesday rose to at least 920 dead and 3,360 injured, according to the toll given on Friday by the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, who specified that at least 172 people remain trapped under the rubble. Rescue teams worked against the clock more than 48 hours after the quakes, as the chances of finding survivors narrowed.

  • Friday, June 26th 2026 - 13:52 UTC

    Venezuela's quake death toll climbs to 589 as the rescue window narrows

    The World Health Organization recalled that the first 72 hours are decisive for finding victims alive

    The number of victims from the twin earthquake that struck north-central Venezuela on Wednesday rose to at least 589 dead and 2,980 injured, according to the toll given on Friday by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who warned that the figure would keep rising. Rescue teams worked against the clock through the rubble as the first 72 hours —considered critical for finding survivors— drew to a close.

  • Thursday, June 25th 2026 - 21:51 UTC

    Fishermen film the first seconds of Venezuela's earthquake from the sea off La Guaira

    In the video the reaction of the fishermen and an unusual movement of the boats can be seen during the first seconds of the quake

    A group of fishermen working off the coast of La Guaira state captured on video the moment when the two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 that shook Venezuela began on Wednesday and that, according to the latest official toll, left at least 164 dead and 971 injured. The footage, shared on social media, became one of the most widely circulated records of the catastrophe.

  • Thursday, June 25th 2026 - 09:30 UTC

    Two powerful earthquakes strike northern Venezuela and collapse buildings in Caracas

    The USGS described both quakes as a “seismic doublet,” a phenomenon in which two large-magnitude earthquakes occur seconds apart in the same area

    Two powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, about 39 seconds apart, struck north-central Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon, collapsing buildings in the capital, Caracas, and leaving rescue teams working through the rubble, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency, though she did not provide figures for the injured or dead.

  • Thursday, June 25th 2026 - 09:04 UTC

    Venezuela's earthquake toll rises to at least 164 dead and nearly 1,000 injured

    Rodríguez said that La Guaira, a coastal state north of Caracas, is the hardest hit and described it as a “disaster zone,” with a high number of collapsed buildings

    The number of victims from the twin earthquake that struck north-central Venezuela rose to at least 164 dead and 971 injured, acting President Delcy Rodríguez reported on Thursday, warning that the figure would keep rising as rescue work progressed. The quakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, hit on Wednesday afternoon and left dozens of buildings collapsed across several regions of the country.