International

Boluarte charged with genocide of Peru’s indigenous peoples

November 15 |

The National Organization of Andean and Amazonian Indigenous Women of Peru (Onamiap) accused the president-designate of that nation, Dina Boluarte, for the deaths of Quechua and Aymara citizens during protests against her government that took place between December 2022 and January 2023.

The president of Onamiap, Ketty Marcelo López, presented during a hearing convened by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) a report on the consequences of the brutal repression perpetrated by the armed forces and police.

The report stated that Dina Boluarte is responsible for the crime of genocide and crimes against humanity, “in accordance with the doctrine and jurisprudence of international criminal law and the international law of indigenous peoples”.

Specifically, he pointed out that the repression was committed “to the detriment of the Quechua and Aymara indigenous peoples of the regions of Apurímac, Ayacucho, Puno and Cusco” in southern Peru.

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He affirmed that this country “is going backwards in terms of human rights and the rights of the indigenous peoples”, on whom they want to impose through violence a development model based on extractive activity, which is harmful to nature and people.

Marcelo López described this model as genocidal and blamed its defense at all costs on “a corrupt political elite”, which “is in collusion with business and military power and the open media, who are in charge of stigmatizing us”.

Regarding the criminalization of indigenous communities involved in the protests, he warned that the security forces continue to open clandestine investigations of indigenous leaders, whom they accuse of the crime of terrorism.

The repression of the protests against the parliamentary coup of December 2022, which deposed President Pedro Castillo, caused the death of 67 people, of which 49 were killed by shots fired by the Armed Forces or the Police.

Among others, there were massacres of civilians in Ayacucho (November 15 and 16, 2022, with at least ten civilians killed), Apurímac (from December 10, with at least six killed, 83 wounded and hundreds detained) and in the city of Juliaca, in Puno (January 9, 2023, with 18 protesters killed and more than one hundred wounded).

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During the IACHR hearings, held last Friday and this Monday in Lima (capital), relatives of victims of the repression denounced that the investigations of these crimes are not progressing and that those intellectually and materially responsible for them could remain in impunity.

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.