International

Registration of alliances for elections in Argentina concludes

Photo: Radio 3

June 15 |

The registration of electoral alliances that will participate in the presidential elections in Argentina, scheduled for next October 22, concluded on Wednesday.

According to local media, both the ruling party and the opposition negotiated until the last minute which parties to include or exclude from the coalitions, their electoral strategies and other details.

For the justicialism (officialism), Unión por la Patria was registered, which replaces Frente de Todos, winner of the 2019 elections, of which the Partido Justicialista, Frente Renovador, Kolina, Nuevo Encuentro, Partido de la Victoria, Frente Grande, Partido Comunista and Partido Solidario, among others, are part of.

Meanwhile, for the opposition, Juntos por el Cambio (Together for Change) was registered, formerly led by the right-wing former President Mauricio Macri (2015-2019).

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According to the electoral calendar, the political alliances must register ten days before the official registration of the presidential pre-candidates, which will take place on June 24, and 60 days before the primary elections or PASO (Primarias, Abiertas, Simultáneas y Obligatorias), to be held on August 13, which will define the presidential candidates to be voted for on October 22.

Within the Peronism, the debate continues between two tendencies: to choose the presidential candidate through the PASO, an idea defended by President Alberto Fernández, or that Vice-President Cristina Fernández -who will not run in the elections- designates a single candidate and transfers her political wealth to him.

Among the candidates are the current Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, the Minister of the Interior, Eduardo “Wado” de Pedro, the governor of the province of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, and the Argentine ambassador in Brazil, Daniel Scioli, former vice-president (2003-2007) and candidate for president for Peronism in 2015.

In the case of Juntos por el Cambio, it was formed by the Unión Cívica Radical (UCR), the Coalición Cívica and Propuesta Republicana (PRO). Now, Encuentro Republicano Federal, Partido Demócrata Progresista, Partido Unión Popular, Generación para un Encuentro Nacional (GEN), Partido Unir and Movimiento de Integración y Desarrollo (MID) have joined.

Within these forces, the former Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich (supported by Macri), as well as the head of the Government of the city of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, and the governor of the province of Jujuy (north), Gerardo Morales, stand out as candidates.

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Days before the closing of alliances, Rodríguez Larreta tried to include in the coalition a group of Peronists who define themselves as non-Kirchnerists, led by the governor of Córdoba, Juan Schiaretti, but this was rejected by Bullrich.

In view of this, Schiaretti registered the alliance Hacemos por Nuestro País, which includes the Socialist Party, the Christian Democratic Party, the Autonomist Party and other forces of Córdoba.

International

Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.

During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.

“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.

“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”

Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.

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On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.

International

Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition

he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.

Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.

The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”

International

Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may

The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.

The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”

The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”

Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.

The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.