International
Brazil’s Bolsonaro snubs new lockdown calls
AFP/Editor
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro doubled down on his opposition to lockdown measures to contain Covid-19 Wednesday, as experts warned a large-scale stay-at-home was “absolutely necessary” to slow a deadly surge of the coronavirus.
Hard-hit Brazil registered its deadliest day yet in the pandemic Tuesday with more than 4,000 deaths, fueling mounting calls for a lockdown — something Bolsonaro has vehemently rejected.
Leading public health institute Fiocruz recommended Wednesday the country adopt a strict lockdown to alleviate what it called the “collapse” of the health system.
“Lockdown measures are a bitter but absolutely necessary pill in moments of crisis and the collapse of the health system, such as the country is experiencing now,” it said.
But Bolsonaro reiterated his opposition to lockdowns, which he argues cause economic damage that is worse than the virus itself.
“We’re not going to accept these policies of ‘stay home, close everything, lock down,’” he said on a visit to the southern city of Chapeco.
“There’s not going to be a national lockdown. Our army isn’t going into the streets to force the Brazilian people into their homes.”
The far-right president has defied expert advice on containing the pandemic, criticizing lockdowns, face masks and vaccines even as the virus has claimed nearly 337,000 lives in Brazil — second only to the United States.
But he faces mounting pressure to get the situation under control amid a brutal new surge of the virus that has made Brazil the current epicenter of the pandemic, overflowing hospitals and forcing cemeteries to hold burials around the clock.
Fiocruz said intensive care units in hospitals were at “critical levels” of occupancy in 24 of Brazil’s 27 states.
Bolsonaro complained he was being treated unfairly by critics of his handling of the pandemic.
“I think I’m the only world leader taking all this criticism. It would be easier to just follow the masses. That way people don’t accuse you of ‘genocide’ just because I think differently,” he said.
He also renewed his backing for the so-called “Covid kit,” a package of medications such as malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and parasite drug ivermectin that he maintains is effective against the disease despite a raft of studies finding the opposite.
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.
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.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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