International
Sanctions and elections on table at Venezuela talks
AFP
Venezuela’s government and opposition will restart talks in Mexico with sanctions, political prisoners and elections on the table, but not the future of President Nicolas Maduro.
Talks in the Dominican Republic in 2018 and Barbados a year later failed to produce a breakthrough in disputes centred on Maduro and Juan Guaido, the opposition leader recognized as the rightful president by about 60 countries.
“This process is more elaborate and better constructed than the previous ones,” a source close to the Norway-mediated dialogue told AFP.
An organizational meeting is planned for Friday while the official start of the talks is set for August 30.
“We have made a set of demands and we hold firmly to them: first of all, the immediate lifting of all the criminal sanctions,” said Maduro, referring to the raft of international measures imposed on himself and top government officials, including a US oil embargo against the state oil company PDVSA.
The opposition led by Guaido wants guarantees over electoral conditions and a clear program for presidential elections, as well as freeing political prisoners, including former legislator Freddy Guevara, who was detained just before talks began.
“There could be a softening of certain sanctions (and) on themes such as political prisoners and the institutional recognition of the opposition,” said Luis Vicente Leon, the director of pollsters Datanalisis.
– ‘Nothing to offer’ –
Guaido declared himself Venezuela’s president in 2019 through his position as parliament speaker.
The opposition-dominated parliament had claimed Maduro’s 2018 re-election was fraudulent, a view shared by the European Union and United States.
That led to a raft of new sanctions against the government at a time when Venezuela was gripped by the worst economic crisis in its modern history: eight years of recession and four years of hyperinflation have decimated an economy that has lost 80 percent of its value since 2014.
Despite the rival presidential claims, Maduro never lost control of the country’s institutions, in particular the armed forces, while Guaido was replaced as parliament speaker after the opposition boycotted legislative elections in December.
Neither Maduro or Guaido will attend the talks, but the government holds most of the cards.
“The opposition has nothing to offer” other than “the relationship with those that do, which is the international community,” said Leon.
“The opposition can make requests and incorporate it into the negotiations but the decisions will be made by the countries” that have imposed sanctions on Maduro.
The European Union, US and Canada have shown they are open to revising the sanctions if they see significant progress towards “credible, inclusive and transparent” elections, added Leon.
– ‘Not on the ropes’ –
The Mexico process follows a domestic negotiation, which resulted in the liberation of some political prisoners and the replacement of some electoral authorities — moves that were well received in Brussels and Washington.
“The conditions are in place for an agreement to be reached if there is the will from both parties,” said Pedro Benitez, a columnist and university professor.
Having boycotted the last legislative and presidential elections, the opposition has shown signs it is prepared to contest mayoral and gubernatorial polls in November.
Benitez believes that with the regional elections on the horizon, these talks in Mexico could “give back to the people trust in the vote” as long as “whoever wins, the victory is recognized.”
What is sure, though, is that Maduro is going nowhere.
“Maduro is not on the ropes,” said Leon. “Is he affected? Yes. Are there sanctions? Yes. Does he want to resolve them? Yes … Is he on the brink of leaving power? No.”
Leon added there is little chance the opposition will succeed in its demand to bring forward the 2024 presidential election.
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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