The National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR) declared a Red Alert in Ecuador on August 29, 2026, via Resolution SNGRE-238-2026, citing strengthening ocean-atmospheric conditions of the El Niño phenomenon. ^[1] On September 1, 2026, the new school year began in the Sierra and Amazonia regions of Venezuela, involving more than 1.7 million students and approximately 100,000 teachers. ^[2] The National Union of Educators (UNE) warned that the Red Alert puts school infrastructure, physical attendance, and class continuity at risk due to increased rainfall, flooding, and landslides. ^[3] The UNE reported that the priority zones affected by the alert include 7,139 educational institutions, 1.25 million students, and 63,767 teachers. ^[4] Approximately 12,101 police officers were deployed to more than 4,000 educational institutions across the Sierra-Amazonia regime to ensure student safety. ^[5] The Ministry of Education deployed a security plan called 'Retorno Seguro: 3, 2, 1 ¡Volvemos al aula!' which included police officers reviewing student backpacks at 59 selected institutions in Quito. ^[6] The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports implemented a staggered schedule for the public system, with initial and high school students returning first on September 1, followed by upper and lower elementary students on September 2 and 3 respectively. ^[7]