Colombia ends all electricity transfers to Ecuador; Manta judge declares 32 fishermen innocent of drug charges; Quito paralyzed again by rain and hail

The Colombia Energy Ministry announced Monday that it is ending all electricity transfers to Ecuador. Colombian authorities said they were taking the action to protect the country against the “growing threat to the electrical system of the El Niño weather phenomenon.”

Although Colombia warned a month ago that a cutoff was likely, it continued to transfer as much as 70 megawatts a day to Ecuador since early September. “The electricity connection between Ecuador and Colombia will remain operational and transfers will resume when conditions permit,” the Colombian ministry said.

A Quito fireman helps a motorist free his truck from ice left from a hail storm.

The electricity sold to Ecuador was produced by private utility companies but, by law, the Colombian government can end foreign sales in times of shortages.

Manta judge declares 32 fishermen innocent
Citing a lack of evidence, a Manta judge declared innocent 32 crew members of two fishing boats destroyed by U.S. military forces in the Pacific Ocean. Prosecutors claimed the crew members were guilty of “illicit association” with drug traffickers, but the judge said the evidence presented by the government was “insufficient for conviction.”

The 32 men were crew members of the Conquista 2 and the María Candelaria, fishing vessels detained and destroyed by U.S. Marines in late August. The U.S. Southern Command claimed the boats were “floating refueling stations” for other boats transporting cocaine to Central and North America.

When the judge asked the prosecutor if he had additional evidence against the accused, he said there was “more information” but that it was classified for security reasons.

“Once the judge reviewed the evidence presented by the prosecutor’s office, she determined that there was no proof that the vessels and crew had committed any illegal act,” defense attorney Juan Alvia said following the verdict. “In other words, there was no crime committed.

Quito paralyzed by rain and hail
For the second time in five days, thunderstorms inundated parts of Quito with heavy rain and hail Wednesday afternoon. Accumulations of ice, some of it 40 centimeters deep, clogged street drains, bringing downtown traffic to a standstill. Many vehicles became stuck in the ice, their owners having to wait hours for it to melt. Videos posted on social media sites showed residents slipping and falling on icy sidewalks.

The Quito Emergency Services office reported that more than 30 neighborhoods were temporarily “paralyzed” by flooding and ice and that many vehicles were immobilized on city streets. “Firemen are currently responding to emergency calls and we have dispatched other municipal employees to several locations to assist stranded residents,” the office said at 5 p.m.

The National Meteorology Service reported that the storms were “extremely unusual” for early October and were the result of an “outflow of moisture from southern Colombia.” It said the weather was not related to El Niño.