Cuban president regrets consequences of a strong earthquake in Ecuador

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Sunday expressed his solidarity and condolences to the government and people of Ecuador for the victims of the 6.5-magnitude earthquake that shook that country and left 13 dead so far.

In his profile on the social network Twitter, the Cuban president lamented the damage caused by the earthquake, with the epicenter in the municipality of Balao in the southern coastal province of Guayas. It was felt in almost half of the country, followed by at least seven aftershocks of magnitudes between 2.6 and 4.6.

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez also conveyed Cuba's condolences for the human and material damages caused by the earthquake.

Among the damage to infrastructure, the collapse of facades, broken glass, and cracks in walls, among others, 11 deaths were reported in the province of El Oro, in the south.

The President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, went to the city of Machala, in El Oro, to assess the situation and offered resources to recover the affected buildings, especially the hospital of that municipality.

On April 16, Ecuador will remember the seventh anniversary of one of the most destructive earthquakes in its recent history, which left more than 670 dead, thousands of people affected, as well as millions of material losses.

The Andean nation is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, which concentrates on some of the most important subduction zones in the world and is the scene of strong seismic and volcanic activity.