International

Mexican Navy recognizes Claudia Sheinbaum as the future “supreme commander” of the Armed Forces

The president-elect of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, who will assume power on October 1, was recognized by the head of the Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico, Rafael Ojeda, as the “future supreme commander” of the Armed Forces.

At an event in the city of Matías Romero, in the state of Oaxaca, together with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, with whom he traveled on the train of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), which connects the Pacific with the Atlantic, Sheinbaum welcomed that distinction.

In Mexico, according to the Mexican Army and Air Force Law, the supreme command of the Mexican Army and Air Force corresponds to the President of the Republic – in this case in the future Sheinbaum – who will exercise it by himself or through the Secretary of National Defense; for this purpose, during his term he will be called “Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.”

“Doctor Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, President-elect of the United Mexican States and next supreme commander of the Armed Forces,” Ojeda said at the rally in the city of Matías Romero, Oaxaca, south of the country.

Previously, the director of the CIIT, Admiral Raymundo Morales, had made the same presentation of Sheinbaum, who on both occasions thanked the distinction.

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Just last Tuesday, in his daily conference, López Obrador was questioned about whether the Armed Forces and the Mexican Army were prepared to have a supreme commander.

“Yes, they are prepared, but my opinion is that more progress is made. The results have been very good. I would not have been able to move forward as we did without the support of the Armed Forces. It was key, indispensable,” the president replied.

López Obrador and Sheinbaum arrived in Matías Romero after three hours of travel after boarding the train in Jáltipan, south of Veracruz, at 3:00 p.m. (21:00 GMT).

In his speech, López Obrador said to himself “very happy because the country will be in good hands, there will be continuity with change and we will continue with the transformation as Claudia expressed, all well-being programs will continue.”

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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.