As the first pope from Latin America, Pope Francis has been very busy with matters concerning the region. During his weekly Sunday noon blessing, he offered prayers to the people of Ecuador and Peru following a massive earthquake. 

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake rocked the coastal areas between Ecuador and Peru, with at least 14 deaths in Ecuador and at least one in Peru. The disaster brought down homes and buildings in various communities, as well as injured hundreds of people.

According to the Associated Press, Ecuador was the hardest hit, with Pope Francis saying in his Sunday address, "I'm close to the Ecuadorean people and assure them of my prayers for the dead and suffering."

Rescue Operations Still Ongoing in Ecuador After Deadly Earthquake

As Pope Francis sent his prayers for the people affected by this massive earthquake, rescue operations are still happening in Ecuador as search and rescue crews sift through the rubble of collapsed buildings to look for any survivors or the dead.

One town on Ecuador's South Pacific Coast, Machala, known in the country as the "Banana Capital of the World," was among the hardest-hit areas in the country. Some of its streets have been covered in rubble after the quake, with neighbors holding funerals to bury the dead.

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The devastation in Machala was so big that even its port was destroyed, and is now essentially gone, according to the Associated Press. Nine residents have been confirmed dead, with more expected to be reported as rescuers comb through the rubble of fallen homes and buildings.

The earthquake was centered just off the Pacific Coast, which is around 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Guayaquil. Of the 14 reported deaths, 12 happened in the state of El Oro alone, which is where Machala is. The earthquake also rocked the highland state of Azuay, causing two more deaths.

Vatican City Closes Embassy in Nicaragua as Row Intensifies Over Political Repression

Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Church is facing its own crisis just north of Peru and Ecuador. The Vatican continues its years-long struggle for the people of Nicaragua as the Daniel Ortega regime continues its political repression of all dissidents, including members of the Church.

The Vatican announced that it had already closed its embassy in Nicaragua after the Ortega administration proposed suspending diplomatic relations. This comes after the Nicaraguan government arrested several priests, including Matagalpa Bishop Rolando Alvarez, and stripped them of their citizenship without any trial.

Last year, Nicaragua expelled the Papal Nuncio, the Vatican ambassador to Nicaragua, as well as expelled two congregations of nuns, including the Missionaries of Charity order founded by Mother Teresa, now Saint Teresa of Calcutta.

Pope Francis had largely remained silent on the issue until Bishop Alvarez's sentencing. The usually peaceful and calm pope called Ortega's government a "rude dictatorship" comparable to Hitler's that was led by an "unbalanced" president, according to the Associated Press.

The Vatican Embassy in Nicaragua was entrusted to the care of the Italian government, following diplomatic conventions.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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