International

Abel Martínez, an experienced Dominican politician who seeks the return to power of the LDP

Abel Martínez arrives in the presidential elections of the Dominican Republic on May 19 after a valued administration as mayor of the city that saw him grow, Santiago (second in the country), from 2016 to 2024, and with the view to the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) returning to power.

At 52 years old and with a long political career behind him after obtaining his law degree, Martínez has this goal for the LDP, a formation that ruled the country first from 1996 to 2000 and later between 2004 and 2020, when he lost the general elections in the midst of an internal division and serious accusations of corruption.

Although the LDP remains the second Dominican political force, Martínez’s candidacy is, according to the polls, in a distant third place, behind that of the current president of the country Luis Abinader, of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), who heads the polls on voting intention, and former President Leonel Fernández, of the People’s Force.

This lawyer, educator and politician has 25 years of experience. He began in 1999 with the position of prosecutor of Santiago and continued as a deputy for 14 years.

Martínez, the youngest of fifteen siblings, continued his promotion to all sectors of the politics of the Dominican Republic and, in 2010, began to hold the Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies, becoming the youngest of the holders of any Parliament on the continent at that time.

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He stood out for his role in legislative decisions such as the approval of laws that contribute to the strengthening of transparency in public administration and democracy, the Arms Control Law or the Civil Code.

In 2016, considered one of the most important politicians in his province, he accepted the position of mayor in Santiago. A city declared in a health and environmental emergency that during the eight years of his term (he was re-elected in 2020) has significantly improved its conditions.

In fact, in statements to EFE, he said that his eight years as a manager of the municipality turned Santiago, “which was a stray city” into “a model of municipal management.”

The experience and “those positive results” in 24 years of public service have led Martínez to aspire to the Presidency, “and more in the situation that is in the Dominican Republic, that he needs a manager, that he needs results, who needs action, but, above all, that he needs a concrete plan that is carried out, not beautiful words,” he added.

To achieve the transition from mayor to president of the Republic, Martínez elaborated a series of proposals with the objective of the LDP to regovern the country as it already did before its defeat in the hands of the PRM in 2020.

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The creation of three security rings to provide an immediate response to crime, the ‘Patria Segura’ program to control the border area with Haiti; the ‘Seed Capital’ plan, which would consist of giving incentives of 300,000 Dominican pesos to high school graduates for their university studies (about $5,000) or the ‘Zero Debt’ initiative, to eliminate loans to banking institutions, are some of his proposals.

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.