Ecuador has granted citizenship to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.&nbsp;

Assange has been sheltering at <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assange-denied-diplomatic-status-by-uk-29259" target="_blank">Ecuador&#39;s London embassy for the past five years</a> in order to evade arrest.&nbsp;

Ecuador&#39;s Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa said Thursday at a press conference in Quito that Assange had been made an Ecuadorian citizen on December 12.&nbsp;

AFP reported that Ecuador has requested Britain to recognise Assange as a diplomat which would give him immunity from arrest, a request which Britain has refused.&nbsp;

Julian Assange, faces rape and sexual assault allegations in Sweden.&nbsp;

Assange has always denied the sexual assault allegations against him, claiming the sex was consensual and that the case was politically motivated to get him extradited to the US over massive Wikileaks dumps of secret US military reports that year.

A United Nations panel had concluded in 2016 that Assange was under arbitrary detention. But the British government has maintained he must face justice in UK courts over his breach of bail conditions.

WikiLeaks is an international non-profit journalistic organisation that publishes secret information, news leaks and classified media from anonymous sources.

Assange has been sheltering at Ecuador's London embassy for the past five years in order to evade arrest

Ecuador has granted citizenship to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Assange has been sheltering at Ecuador's London embassy for the past five years in order to evade arrest. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa said Thursday at a press conference in Quito that Assange had been made an Ecuadorian citizen on December 12. AFP reported that Ecuador has requested Britain to recognise Assange as a diplomat which would give him immunity from arrest, a request which Britain has refused. Julian Assange, faces rape and sexual assault allegations in Sweden. Assange has always denied the sexual assault allegations against him, claiming the sex was consensual and that the case was politically motivated to get him extradited to the US over massive Wikileaks dumps of secret US military reports that year. A United Nations panel had concluded in 2016 that Assange was under arbitrary detention. But the British government has maintained he must face justice in UK courts over his breach of bail conditions. WikiLeaks is an international non-profit journalistic organisation that publishes secret information, news leaks and classified media from anonymous sources.

Ecuador grants citizenship to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Ecuadorean transgender people on Sunday voted for the first time according to their chosen gender, in what activists say are signs of progress in the socially conservative and Catholic Andean nation.

In Ecuador, men and women wait in separate lines to cast their ballots, which for years created uncomfortable moments for transgender voters who had to queue up according to their biological sex.&nbsp;

&quot;The rumors would start, and the looks,&quot; said LGBT activist Mariasol Mite, 32, who changed her ID description from &quot;sex: male&quot; to &quot;gender: female&quot; last year.&nbsp;

Fears of harassment were such that voters would sometimes send their brothers or husbands to wait in line until they got close to the booth, according to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists.&nbsp;

&quot;This year, everything was different,&quot; said Mite, adding that public officials and fellow voters were much more aware of the issue.&nbsp;

After years of lobbying by the LGBT community and despite opposition by Catholic and increasingly powerful evangelical groups, Ecuador passed a law last year allowing people to choose a gender on their identity card.&nbsp;

&quot;This is very important because our rights are being recognized. It hasn&#39;t been easy,&quot; said activist and National Assembly candidate Diane Rodriguez, after voting in the city of Guayaquil close to the Pacific coast.&nbsp;

An estimated 200 people in the country of 16 million have changed their gender on their ID card since the law changed last year, she added.&nbsp;

Ecuador&#39;s first transgender lawmaker?&nbsp;

Rodriguez, a 34-year-old psychologist who was born biologically male, is vying to become Ecuador&#39;s first transgender lawmaker as the country renews its Congress as well as chooses a president for a four-year term.&nbsp;

If elected, the leftist ruling party candidate would push for legislation to counter bullying against transgender students, combat discrimination in the workplace, and eventually work towards legalizing gay marriage and adoption.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rodriguez&#39;&nbsp;potential election in Ecuador would come on the heels of Venezuela electing its first transgender lawmaker, lawyer and activist Tamara Adrian, in 2015.&nbsp;

Adrian is staunchly opposed to Venezuela&#39;s Socialist government, which is an ally of Ecuador&#39;s own leftist government, but Rodriguez says the two are close despite being politically opposed.&nbsp;

&quot;She&#39;s a partner in this fight,&quot; said Rodriguez. &quot;Beyond the fact that she&#39;s in a right-wing movement... we&#39;re united by the progress of rights.&quot;

(Reuters)

Rodriguez, a 34-year-old psychologist who was born biologically male, is vying to become Ecuador's first transgender lawmaker

Ecuadorean transgender people on Sunday voted for the first time according to their chosen gender, in what activists say are signs of progress in the socially conservative and Catholic Andean nation. In Ecuador, men and women wait in separate lines to cast their ballots, which for years created uncomfortable moments for transgender voters who had to queue up according to their biological sex. "The rumors would start, and the looks," said LGBT activist Mariasol Mite, 32, who changed her ID description from "sex: male" to "gender: female" last year. Fears of harassment were such that voters would sometimes send their brothers or husbands to wait in line until they got close to the booth, according to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists. "This year, everything was different," said Mite, adding that public officials and fellow voters were much more aware of the issue. After years of lobbying by the LGBT community and despite opposition by Catholic and increasingly powerful evangelical groups, Ecuador passed a law last year allowing people to choose a gender on their identity card. "This is very important because our rights are being recognized. It hasn't been easy," said activist and National Assembly candidate Diane Rodriguez, after voting in the city of Guayaquil close to the Pacific coast. An estimated 200 people in the country of 16 million have changed their gender on their ID card since the law changed last year, she added. Ecuador's first transgender lawmaker? Rodriguez, a 34-year-old psychologist who was born biologically male, is vying to become Ecuador's first transgender lawmaker as the country renews its Congress as well as chooses a president for a four-year term. If elected, the leftist ruling party candidate would push for legislation to counter bullying against transgender students, combat discrimination in the workplace, and eventually work towards legalizing gay marriage and adoption. Rodriguez' potential election in Ecuador would come on the heels of Venezuela electing its first transgender lawmaker, lawyer and activist Tamara Adrian, in 2015. Adrian is staunchly opposed to Venezuela's Socialist government, which is an ally of Ecuador's own leftist government, but Rodriguez says the two are close despite being politically opposed. "She's a partner in this fight," said Rodriguez. "Beyond the fact that she's in a right-wing movement... we're united by the progress of rights." (Reuters)

Ecuador election: Transgender people vote for first time according to chosen gender

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake followed by more than 20 aftershocks rattled Ecuador&#39;s Pacific coast before dawn Monday, causing one death and heavy damage to hotels and homes in resort towns, officials said.

The northwestern province of Esmeraldas -- hit hard by a devastating temblor in April -- bore the brunt of the new quake, too.

A 75-year woman died of a heart attack as a result of the quake, said provincial governor Gabriel Rivera.

It caused a lot of damage to resort facilities in the coastal towns of Atacames and Tonsupa, and many homes also collapsed, Rivera told Radio Publica.

The 5.8 magnitude quake struck in the Pacific off Atacames and was followed by 25 aftershocks registering as high as 4.2, the Geophysical Institute reported.

The quakes knocked out power in several areas of Esmeraldas but it was later restored. Classes in schools were suspended for the day.

The capital city of Esmeraldas, which has the same name, is home to the country&#39;s main oil refinery, a power plant, two oil pipelines and an oil export port. But no damage to any of these facilities was reported, the government said.

The South American nation is still recovering from a devastating 7.8-magnitude quake that killed 673 people in April and left some 6,000 injured.

That quake flattened homes and buildings up and down a long stretch of Ecuador&#39;s coast, reducing picturesque resort towns to rubble.&nbsp;

The US Geological Survey said the main quake on Monday was of magnitude 5.4.

The Geophysical Institute did not issue a tsunami alert.

(AFP)

A 75-year woman died of a heart attack as a result of the quake, said provincial governor Gabriel Rivera

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake followed by more than 20 aftershocks rattled Ecuador's Pacific coast before dawn Monday, causing one death and heavy damage to hotels and homes in resort towns, officials said. The northwestern province of Esmeraldas -- hit hard by a devastating temblor in April -- bore the brunt of the new quake, too. A 75-year woman died of a heart attack as a result of the quake, said provincial governor Gabriel Rivera. It caused a lot of damage to resort facilities in the coastal towns of Atacames and Tonsupa, and many homes also collapsed, Rivera told Radio Publica. The 5.8 magnitude quake struck in the Pacific off Atacames and was followed by 25 aftershocks registering as high as 4.2, the Geophysical Institute reported. The quakes knocked out power in several areas of Esmeraldas but it was later restored. Classes in schools were suspended for the day. The capital city of Esmeraldas, which has the same name, is home to the country's main oil refinery, a power plant, two oil pipelines and an oil export port. But no damage to any of these facilities was reported, the government said. The South American nation is still recovering from a devastating 7.8-magnitude quake that killed 673 people in April and left some 6,000 injured. That quake flattened homes and buildings up and down a long stretch of Ecuador's coast, reducing picturesque resort towns to rubble. The US Geological Survey said the main quake on Monday was of magnitude 5.4. The Geophysical Institute did not issue a tsunami alert. (AFP)

Ecuador quake, aftershocks leave one dead, serious damage

The snapping of Julian Assange&rsquo;s Internet access is the victory of the Obama administration over Ecuadorians. The restriction on Assange would mean that he will not be able to spill any more information that can hurt the US election. It comes at a time when Ecuador is seeing an opportunity to mend its relationship with the Americans post the US presidential election. It also comes at a time when the US requested Ecuadorians not to interfere in the affairs of the US by putting out the leaks and violating the free election process.

Whistle-blowers aren&rsquo;t protected anywhere. Julian Assange and Edward Snowden are cases in point where corrupt systems will not let whistle-blowers rear their head. If the leak is too big then their life is at risk and before it comes out they will possibly be knocked out. If it ain&rsquo;t big, they get victimised. India is also home to victimisation of whistle-blowers, whether it&rsquo;s corporate or government. For instance, Dinesh Thakur highlighted the issues of fraudulent practices in Ranbaxy concerning drug development, manufacturing, and testing data.

In 2005, Thakur was compelled to resign after exposing the fraud internally. But, later he worked closely with the US Food and Drug Administration and exposed the company. Ranbaxy was fined to the tune of US $500 million. He was able to achieve this only because he took the protection of the US whistle-blowers&rsquo; protection programme. Not everyone has this privilege. Shanmugam Manjunath was killed for exposing adulteration of fuel at few petrol stations in Uttar Pradesh. Satyendra Dubey exposed the corruption in the golden quadrilateral project of National Highway Authority and was later murdered in Gaya, Bihar.

In 2014, the amendments to the Whistleblowers Protection Act were passed in the Lok Sabha. However, little good may come out of this legislation. The Bill is still in pending in Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. If the amendments come into existence, the whistle-blower will not be able to disclose information protected under the Official Secrets Act and any information that the government is exempted from disclosing under the Right to Information Act.&nbsp;

Under the new Bill, any disclosure that would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India as well as the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, including friendly relations with foreign states or lead to incitement to an offence are excluded. Intellectual property and trade secrets have also been protected. This means that whistle-blower will not be able to complain about corruption, violation of laws, abuse of power, and wasteful government expenditure if the complaint falls foul of these broad exemption categories. The original legislation was heavily problematic and the new one is not close to solving the issue either. India needs harsher punishments for those who are corrupt rather than silencing those who expose them.

According to an affidavit signed in the Supreme Court, between January 2007 and December 2012, the conviction rate of central vigilance office was only 7.3 per cent. Also, the &ldquo;recommended&rdquo; punishments were &ldquo;minor penalties&rdquo; like &ldquo;withholding promotions and increments&rdquo;. If the fear of the system has to be put in place, then the punishment has to be stronger. The challenge in India is corruption. India stands at the 76th place is the corruption perception index. The second most populous country in the world needs to show a far higher degree of honesty and transparency for it to be able to advance towards the path of nationhood.

&nbsp;

Ecuador is seeing an opportunity to mend its relationship with the Americans post the US presidential election

The snapping of Julian Assange’s Internet access is the victory of the Obama administration over Ecuadorians. The restriction on Assange would mean that he will not be able to spill any more information that can hurt the US election. It comes at a time when Ecuador is seeing an opportunity to mend its relationship with the Americans post the US presidential election. It also comes at a time when the US requested Ecuadorians not to interfere in the affairs of the US by putting out the leaks and violating the free election process. Whistle-blowers aren’t protected anywhere. Julian Assange and Edward Snowden are cases in point where corrupt systems will not let whistle-blowers rear their head. If the leak is too big then their life is at risk and before it comes out they will possibly be knocked out. If it ain’t big, they get victimised. India is also home to victimisation of whistle-blowers, whether it’s corporate or government. For instance, Dinesh Thakur highlighted the issues of fraudulent practices in Ranbaxy concerning drug development, manufacturing, and testing data. In 2005, Thakur was compelled to resign after exposing the fraud internally. But, later he worked closely with the US Food and Drug Administration and exposed the company. Ranbaxy was fined to the tune of US $500 million. He was able to achieve this only because he took the protection of the US whistle-blowers’ protection programme. Not everyone has this privilege. Shanmugam Manjunath was killed for exposing adulteration of fuel at few petrol stations in Uttar Pradesh. Satyendra Dubey exposed the corruption in the golden quadrilateral project of National Highway Authority and was later murdered in Gaya, Bihar. In 2014, the amendments to the Whistleblowers Protection Act were passed in the Lok Sabha. However, little good may come out of this legislation. The Bill is still in pending in Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. If the amendments come into existence, the whistle-blower will not be able to disclose information protected under the Official Secrets Act and any information that the government is exempted from disclosing under the Right to Information Act. Under the new Bill, any disclosure that would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India as well as the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, including friendly relations with foreign states or lead to incitement to an offence are excluded. Intellectual property and trade secrets have also been protected. This means that whistle-blower will not be able to complain about corruption, violation of laws, abuse of power, and wasteful government expenditure if the complaint falls foul of these broad exemption categories. The original legislation was heavily problematic and the new one is not close to solving the issue either. India needs harsher punishments for those who are corrupt rather than silencing those who expose them. According to an affidavit signed in the Supreme Court, between January 2007 and December 2012, the conviction rate of central vigilance office was only 7.3 per cent. Also, the “recommended” punishments were “minor penalties” like “withholding promotions and increments”. If the fear of the system has to be put in place, then the punishment has to be stronger. The challenge in India is corruption. India stands at the 76th place is the corruption perception index. The second most populous country in the world needs to show a far higher degree of honesty and transparency for it to be able to advance towards the path of nationhood.

WikiLeaks and the tough road for whistleblowers everywhere

Brazil fired Dunga as coach on Tuesday, the national football confederation (CBF) said, two days after his side failed to get past the group stages of the Centenary Copa America. 
 
The Brazilians drew 0-0 with Ecuador and beat Haiti 7-1 but were beaten 1-0 by Peru to exit the competition at the group stages for the first time since 1987. 
 
Dunga, who was in his second spell as Brazil coach, was fired after a meeting at the CBF in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
&quot;The Brazilian Football Confederation decided this Tuesday to dissolve the technical commission of the Brazilian national team,&quot; the CBF said in a short statement. 
 
&quot;National teams coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi, coach Dunga and their entire team will leave their posts. 
 
&quot;The CBF has began the process of choosing a new technical commission for the Brazilian team.&quot; 
 
The overwhelming favourite to become Brazil&#39;s new coach is Corinthians 55-year-old manager Tite. 
 
The new man will also be charged with leading the under-23 squad in August&#39;s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the only major tournament Brazil have never won. 
 
Tite led Sao Paulo&#39;s biggest club to Brazil&#39;s Serie A title in 2011 and 2015 as well as the Copa Libertadores and World Club Cup for the first time in 2012. 
 
Dunga had never coached until he was first hired as Brazil boss in 2006. He led them to the Copa America in Venezuela in his first major tournament the following year. 
 
He was fired in 2010, immediately after Brazil were eliminated by the Netherlands at the quarter-final stage of that year&#39;s World Cup. 
 
After coaching his boyhood club, Internacional, for a year in 2013, Dunga was a surprise choice to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari after Brazil&#39;s humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup. 
 
Dunga, who was captain of Brazil&#39;s 1994 World Cup winning side, was given the task of revamping the national set-up but his defensive style of play and curt manner won him few fans. 
 
Led by Barcelona striker Neymar, Brazil performed well in friendlies, but were knocked out of the 2015 Copa America at the quarter-final stage by Paraguay and, without several first-team players, they were poor again at this year&#39;s tournament in the United States.One of the main priorities for the new boss will be ensuring Brazil qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After a poor start, Brazil sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group. 
 
The top four teams qualify automatically for the tournament and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

This is the first time in 30 years that the South American powerhouse hasn't got past the first round

Brazil fired Dunga as coach on Tuesday, the national football confederation (CBF) said, two days after his side failed to get past the group stages of the Centenary Copa America. The Brazilians drew 0-0 with Ecuador and beat Haiti 7-1 but were beaten 1-0 by Peru to exit the competition at the group stages for the first time since 1987. Dunga, who was in his second spell as Brazil coach, was fired after a meeting at the CBF in Rio de Janeiro. "The Brazilian Football Confederation decided this Tuesday to dissolve the technical commission of the Brazilian national team," the CBF said in a short statement. "National teams coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi, coach Dunga and their entire team will leave their posts. "The CBF has began the process of choosing a new technical commission for the Brazilian team." The overwhelming favourite to become Brazil's new coach is Corinthians 55-year-old manager Tite. The new man will also be charged with leading the under-23 squad in August's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the only major tournament Brazil have never won. Tite led Sao Paulo's biggest club to Brazil's Serie A title in 2011 and 2015 as well as the Copa Libertadores and World Club Cup for the first time in 2012. Dunga had never coached until he was first hired as Brazil boss in 2006. He led them to the Copa America in Venezuela in his first major tournament the following year. He was fired in 2010, immediately after Brazil were eliminated by the Netherlands at the quarter-final stage of that year's World Cup. After coaching his boyhood club, Internacional, for a year in 2013, Dunga was a surprise choice to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari after Brazil's humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup. Dunga, who was captain of Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning side, was given the task of revamping the national set-up but his defensive style of play and curt manner won him few fans. Led by Barcelona striker Neymar, Brazil performed well in friendlies, but were knocked out of the 2015 Copa America at the quarter-final stage by Paraguay and, without several first-team players, they were poor again at this year's tournament in the United States.One of the main priorities for the new boss will be ensuring Brazil qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After a poor start, Brazil sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group. The top four teams qualify automatically for the tournament and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff. (Reuters)

Dunga gets the sack after Brazil fail to get past group stage

Philippe Coutinho grabbed a hat-trick as Brazil ramped up their Copa America campaign with a resounding 7-1 win over a hapless Haiti yesterday. 
 
Renato Augusto scored a brace and substitutes Lucas Lima and Gabriel also goaled for Brazil while James Marcelin put in Haiti&#39;s consolation goal. 
 
The scoreline, identical to Brazil&#39;s nightmare 7-1 defeat by Germany in the World Cup semi-final two years ago, took Brazil to the top of Group B with four points, ahead of the game between Peru and Ecuador. 
 
Coutinho got Brazil off to a positive start in the Camping World stadium with a goal after 14 minutes when he skipped past a defender and hammered home from 20 metres out. 
 
He doubled Brazil&#39;s lead 15 minutes later thanks to Jonas, who was on hand to poke a loose ball across goal and leave the Liverpool player with the simplest of tap-ins. 
 
Renato Augusto made it three in 35 minutes when he rose unmarked to head home a cross from the right. 
 
Although the eight-times Copa America champions appeared to take their foot off the pedal in the second half, they still created chances at will against 74th-ranked Haiti. 
 
Gabriel scored the fourth just 13 minutes after replacing Jonas at half-time and his Santos team mate Lucas Lima nodded home a Dani Alves cross eight minutes later. 
 
Haitian striker Marcelin delighted the Caribbean contingent in the Orlando crowd by hammering in a rebound but Renato Augusto restored Brazil&#39;s five-goal advantage when he seized on a loose pass and side-footed home from 20 metres. 
 
Coutinho completed his hat-trick in the final minute of injury time with a trademark 25-metre strike. 
 
Brazil, who were held 0-0 by Ecuador in their opener, next face Peru on Sunday. Haiti, who also lost their opener to Peru 1-0, will take on Ecuador.

The scoreline took Brazil to the top of Group B ahead of the game between Peru and Ecuador

Philippe Coutinho grabbed a hat-trick as Brazil ramped up their Copa America campaign with a resounding 7-1 win over a hapless Haiti yesterday. Renato Augusto scored a brace and substitutes Lucas Lima and Gabriel also goaled for Brazil while James Marcelin put in Haiti's consolation goal. The scoreline, identical to Brazil's nightmare 7-1 defeat by Germany in the World Cup semi-final two years ago, took Brazil to the top of Group B with four points, ahead of the game between Peru and Ecuador. Coutinho got Brazil off to a positive start in the Camping World stadium with a goal after 14 minutes when he skipped past a defender and hammered home from 20 metres out. He doubled Brazil's lead 15 minutes later thanks to Jonas, who was on hand to poke a loose ball across goal and leave the Liverpool player with the simplest of tap-ins. Renato Augusto made it three in 35 minutes when he rose unmarked to head home a cross from the right. Although the eight-times Copa America champions appeared to take their foot off the pedal in the second half, they still created chances at will against 74th-ranked Haiti. Gabriel scored the fourth just 13 minutes after replacing Jonas at half-time and his Santos team mate Lucas Lima nodded home a Dani Alves cross eight minutes later. Haitian striker Marcelin delighted the Caribbean contingent in the Orlando crowd by hammering in a rebound but Renato Augusto restored Brazil's five-goal advantage when he seized on a loose pass and side-footed home from 20 metres. Coutinho completed his hat-trick in the final minute of injury time with a trademark 25-metre strike. Brazil, who were held 0-0 by Ecuador in their opener, next face Peru on Sunday. Haiti, who also lost their opener to Peru 1-0, will take on Ecuador.

Brazil hammer hapless Haiti 7-1 in Copa America massacre

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck northern Ecuador on Sunday in the same area devastated by a powerful quake in mid-April, the US Geological Service (USGS) said. 
 
Its epicentre was 41 kilometres (25.5 miles) south of the town of Propicia - located next to the quake-devastated coastal town of Esmeraldas - and 154 kilometres (96 miles) northwest of the capital Quito, the USGS said. 
 
The quake, which struck at 9:11 pm (0211 GMT Monday), was preceded just minutes earlier by a 5.9 magnitude quake with an epicentre one kilometre away. 
 
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. 
 
Earthquake monitors in Ecuador had slightly different readings on the magnitude of the quakes. 
 
The epicentre of both tremors was at a shallow depth of 35 kilometers, the USGS said. 
 
Ecuador is still reeling from a deadly 7.8-magnitude quake that struck on April 16, killing some 700 people. 
 
The quake flattened homes and buildings up and down a long stretch of Pacific coast, reducing picturesque resort towns to rubble. 
 
(AFP)

It was preceded by a 5.9 magnitude quake minutes earlier with its epicentre one kilometer away

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck northern Ecuador on Sunday in the same area devastated by a powerful quake in mid-April, the US Geological Service (USGS) said. Its epicentre was 41 kilometres (25.5 miles) south of the town of Propicia - located next to the quake-devastated coastal town of Esmeraldas - and 154 kilometres (96 miles) northwest of the capital Quito, the USGS said. The quake, which struck at 9:11 pm (0211 GMT Monday), was preceded just minutes earlier by a 5.9 magnitude quake with an epicentre one kilometre away. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Earthquake monitors in Ecuador had slightly different readings on the magnitude of the quakes. The epicentre of both tremors was at a shallow depth of 35 kilometers, the USGS said. Ecuador is still reeling from a deadly 7.8-magnitude quake that struck on April 16, killing some 700 people. The quake flattened homes and buildings up and down a long stretch of Pacific coast, reducing picturesque resort towns to rubble. (AFP)

6.4 magnitude earthquake strikes Ecuador

Ecuador on Saturday deported 29 undocumented Cubans who asked the government to transfer them to Mexico en route to the United States, the Interior Ministry said. 
 
The 20 men and nine women could not justify their presence in Ecuador, and were returned to Cuba on an air force plane, the ministry said. 
 
The dozens of Cuban migrants who returned home were part of a group of 99 Cubans demonstrating outside the Mexican embassy this week, seeking humanitarian visas so they can move forward in their effort to reach the United States. 
 
After the Cubans were removed from the embassy area, they started protesting in a nearby park. 
 
Most of those who were not yet deported were still having Interior Ministry interviews, its statement added. 
 
Foreign minister Guillaume Long said on Tuesday that the Cubans had not requested asylum in Ecuador but that they wanted to be flown to Mexico in Ecuadoran government planes, on their way to the United States. 
 
Long said Quito &quot;should not be taking part in illegal migration, that involves people trafficking, nor in people trafficking itself by giving people planes to use.&quot; 
 
Under a US law dating back to the Cold War, Cubans who reach US soil. whether by plane, foot or boat, are allowed to stay and to work. 
 
Those spotted and picked up at sea, in contrast, are returned to the Communist-ruled Caribbean nation. 
 
Cubans in their thousands have been fleeing to try to reach US shores urgently since many are convinced the special treatment will end soon now that the United States and Cuba have buried the hatchet and restored diplomatic relations. 
 
(AFP)

A Cold War era law allows Cubans who reach the US by plane, boat or foot to stay and work while those spotted at sea are sent back

Ecuador on Saturday deported 29 undocumented Cubans who asked the government to transfer them to Mexico en route to the United States, the Interior Ministry said. The 20 men and nine women could not justify their presence in Ecuador, and were returned to Cuba on an air force plane, the ministry said. The dozens of Cuban migrants who returned home were part of a group of 99 Cubans demonstrating outside the Mexican embassy this week, seeking humanitarian visas so they can move forward in their effort to reach the United States. After the Cubans were removed from the embassy area, they started protesting in a nearby park. Most of those who were not yet deported were still having Interior Ministry interviews, its statement added. Foreign minister Guillaume Long said on Tuesday that the Cubans had not requested asylum in Ecuador but that they wanted to be flown to Mexico in Ecuadoran government planes, on their way to the United States. Long said Quito "should not be taking part in illegal migration, that involves people trafficking, nor in people trafficking itself by giving people planes to use." Under a US law dating back to the Cold War, Cubans who reach US soil. whether by plane, foot or boat, are allowed to stay and to work. Those spotted and picked up at sea, in contrast, are returned to the Communist-ruled Caribbean nation. Cubans in their thousands have been fleeing to try to reach US shores urgently since many are convinced the special treatment will end soon now that the United States and Cuba have buried the hatchet and restored diplomatic relations. (AFP)

Ecuador starts deporting Cubans bent on getting to US

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