International
Colombia ex-leader Uribe denies blame for killings
AFP
Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe denied responsibility for the murder of thousands of civilians by the military during his government’s crackdown on guerrillas in testimony before a special commission Monday.
The military carried out at least 6,400 extrajudicial killings between 2002 and 2008, during Uribe’s presidency, a special court investigating Colombia’s decades-long armed conflict found in June.
The court, known by its initials JEP, and a Truth Commission were set up under the 2016 peace deal that ended a decades-long conflict between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerillas.
In testimony delivered from his home Uribe told Truth Commission members that he should not be held responsible for the actions of military that he never ordered.
“The guilt never belongs to the one who demands transparent results (but) belongs to the hapless criminal who commits crimes to fake results,” Uribe said in remarks broadcast on social media.
“Some hapless people believed that committing crimes was producing results.”
The JEP and the Truth Commission are looking into the worst abuses committed by leftist guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and soldiers during the conflict.
Those who confess responsibility and compensate the victims can avoid prison time, but those who don’t face up to 20 years in jail.
Under the peace deal, Uribe cannot be prosecuted by the court. His statements Monday were voluntary.
Uribe’s successor, President Juan Manuel Santos, told the court in June that the crimes were committed due to government pressure to deliver results in the fight against the guerrillas.
Some military members have already admitted to killing civilians in return for days off, travel and other benefits.
But Uribe claimed that military personnel “are being forced to recognize crimes that weren’t committed to protect their freedom.”
Uribe opposed the peace process, which was initially rejected in a referendum before being renegotiated and ratified by congress.
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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