International

Biden does not support a new election in Venezuela, he misunderstood the question

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, misinterpreted on Thursday a question about the holding of new elections in Venezuela, which created hours of confusion after he implied that he supported the repetition of the elections.

The confusion occurred when Biden appeared before the press before boarding the Marine One presidential helicopter. When a journalist asked him if he supported the call for new elections in Venezuela, he limited himself to answering: “Yes, I do it,” without offering more details.

However, hours later, a spokesman for the White House clarified that the president was actually referring to the “absurd” that the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, has not published the voting minutes of the July 28 elections, where Maduro’s re-election was proclaimed with questioned results inside and outside the country.

That spokesman reiterated that Washington considers that the winner of the elections was Edmundo González Urrutia, according to the minutes reviewed by the opposition bloc, and again called for “the will” of the people of Venezuela to be respected so that there is a “transition back to democratic norms.”

This Thursday, during an interview on Radio T, the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, suggested two possible solutions to the post-election crisis in Venezuela: the formation of a coalition government that integrates members of Chavismo and the opposition or the holding of new elections.

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Lula’s words immediately generated the reaction of the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who said that he does not see “prudent” to ask for new elections in Venezuela now.

Meanwhile, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, suggested for Venezuela a “national front” like the one in Colombia in the twentieth century, in which liberals and conservatives took turns power as a “transitory” step towards a “definitive solution” to the crisis, in an idea similar to the one suggested by Lula about a coalition government.

In addition, the president of Colombia called for “new free elections”

Maduro’s victory in the elections of July 28 was proclaimed by the National Electoral Council (CNE) without publishing the voting minutes, and the Biden Administration considers that the winner was the opponent Edmundo González Urrutia, according to the minutes obtained by the majority opposition bloc.

After the elections in Venezuela, the governments of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico began contacts to find a solution to the crisis, a mediation effort that has, among others, the support of the United States.

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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.