Page 12 - aruba-today-20190921

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 21 September 2019
Hurricane Lorena nears Mexico's resort-studded Los Cabos

By IGNACIO MARTÍNEZ DE the southern tip of the Baja
JESÚS peninsula Friday afternoon
Associated Press and had sustained winds
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico of 65 mph (100 kilometers).
(AP) — Hurricane Lorena But it wasn't expected to hit
neared Mexico's resort- land.
studded Los Cabos area The port of Cabo San Lu-
Friday as owners pulled cas was closed to naviga-
their boats from the wa- tion. Authorities suspended
ter, tourists hunkered down classes for Friday and pre-
in hotels, and police and pared to use schools as
soldiers went through low- shelters if necessary.
lying, low-income neigh- "We are taking preventive
borhoods urging people to measures," said Baja Cali-
evacuate. fornia Sur state government
Lorena was forecast to pass secretary-general Álvaro
over or near the southern de la Peña. "Rations, gaso-
tip of the Baja California line, all supplies are guar-
Peninsula Friday afternoon anteed. There is no need
with heavy winds and soak- for panic buying."
ing rains, and locals who The region was in a state of
have been through past Men stand on a tree felled by Hurricane Humberto, on Pitts Bay Road in Hamilton, Bermuda, Thurs- yellow alert and anticipat-
hurricanes were taking no day, Sept. 19, 2019. ing heavy rains.
chances. Associated Press "Lorena is going to dump
"If we don't get the yacht a lot of water," said Carlos
out, the waves can dam- under cloudy skies. Others flash flooding and life los Godínez said Friday an Alfredo Godínez, deputy
age it," said Juan Hernán- returned to their hotels. threatening surf along the American tourist who went secretary for civil defense
dez, who rents his craft The U.S. National Hurricane peninsula. to the beach in Los Cabos in the state.
to foreign visitors. It's "a Center in Miami upgraded "We arrived on Monday with his son died after being Lorena came onshore a
preventative measure for Lorena to a Category 1 and we hope to leave swept out to sea. The son day earlier as a hurricane
when a cyclone threatens." hurricane early Friday. By Sunday. ... We hope there survived. But Godínez said in the western Mexican
Authorities in Los Cabos the afternoon it had maxi- aren't big problems," said the death occurred early state of Colima, whipping
said 787 people have taken mum sustained winds of Minerva Smith, a traveler Thursday, before beach palm trees about with its
refuge at 18 storm shelters. 75 mph (120 kph) and was from California. access was restricted, and strong winds and lashing
Local security forces urged about 35 miles (55 kilome- Lorena was kicking up that it was "not necessarily the area with sheets of rain.
local residents in low-lying ters) away, moving toward heavy waves at the twin re- attributable" to Lorena. It flooded streets, washed
areas to evacuate even Cabo San Lucas at 6 mph sorts of San Jose del Cabo A second tropical storm, out roads and touched off
as some tourists continued (10 kph). Forecasters pre- and Cabo San Lucas. Mario, was about 345 miles minor slides in 10 municipal-
to stroll along the streets dicted damaging winds, Civil defense official Car- (555 kilometers) south of ities. q

Cuba: diplomat expulsions, gas crisis part of US offensive

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN people." the annual U.N. General
HAVANA (AP) — Cuban Fuel shortages are leading Assembly.
Foreign Minister Bruno Ro- to hours-long lines at gas The Cuban diplomats who
dríguez said Friday that the station around Cuba this are being expelled are at-
U.S. expulsion of two Cu- week, along with cutbacks tached to the U.N. mission
ban diplomats and energy of public services and ac- and tried to "conduct influ-
shortages across the island tivities throughout Cuba's ence operations against
are part of a Trump admin- centrally planned state-run the United States," State
istration offensive that will economy. Department spokeswoman
fail to force concessions by Rodríguez said Cuba would Morgan Ortagus said. She
his government. not drop its support for the provided no details on the
Rodríguez told reporters Venezuelan government, allegations and the dip-
that Cuba was weighing its the stated goal of the lomats' names weren't re-
response to the expulsion Trump policy. leased.
of two diplomats posted to "They will not force any con- All members of the Cuban
Cuba's permanent mission cession from our people," mission are being restricted
to the United Nations. He Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez speaks during a press he said. "They will not force to the island of Manhattan.
also said energy shortages conference, in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. any political concession "Cuba will deliver an ap-
and long gas lines in Cuba Associated Press from our government. They propriate, timely response
are due to a Trump admin- have failed for 60 years and to these actions by the U.S.
istration campaign of pres- Rodríguez said the Trump pressure against govern- they'll keep failing." government," Rodríguez
suring Cuba's energy sup- administration was waging ments where tankers are Adding to tensions, the said Friday, without offer-
pliers across the world not a campaign to pressure flagged or registered and U.S. announced Thursday ing details. "They are totally
to send petroleum prod- Cuba's fuel suppliers and actions against insurance that it was expelling two unjustified and illegitimate
ucts to the island. shippers in South America, companies, he said. "This Cuban diplomats and re- actions aimed at escalat-
During his annual press Europe and North Africa. is an escalation seeking to stricting travel of members ing bilateral tensions, pro-
conference enumerat- "These actions include di- dissuade and intimidate, of Cuba's permanent U.N. voking the closure of em-
ing the effects of the U.S. rect threats, persecution and to create additional mission as leaders gather bassies and the rupture of
trade embargo on Cuba, of transport companies, difficulties for the Cuban from around the world for diplomatic relations."q