International
Colombia probes murder of two young Venezuelan migrants
AFP
Colombian authorities are investigating the murder of two young Venezuelan migrants in the northeast of the country, sources said on Monday.
Authorities said the two youngsters, one of whom was allegedly only 12 years old, were murdered by an “illegal armed group”.
Videos and photos shared on social media appeared to show them on Saturday trying to steal clothing from a shop in Tibu, on the border with Venezuela — an area rife with criminal gangs.
“They were taken away… by an illegal armed group that took them to an unknown destination where they were murdered,” Jaime Marthey, the ombudsman in the Norte de Santander department, told Blu Radio.
Images seemingly from after they were caught, show the youngsters with their wrists bound with tape, surrounded by people giving them a warning: “We don’t want to see you lying by the side of a road tomorrow. We’re handing you over to authorities.”
The younger of the two was pictured carrying a red school backpack.
Other images show their bodies covered in blood by the side of a rural path after they were apparently shot in the stomach.
A piece of cardboard with the words “thieves” had been placed on the younger Venezuelan.
Tibu is the site of Colombia’s largest plantation of coca leaves, the main ingredient used in the fabrication of cocaine.
Various armed groups in the country are battling for control of the lucrative drug trafficking market.
Shopkeepers claim they called the police but no one came to take custody of the two youngsters.
Police colonel Carlos Martinez promised there would be an “internal investigation” and claimed the youngsters were killed by dissidents from the left-wing rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Martinez claimed the shopkeepers had beaten the Venezuelans, something the local shopkeepers’ federation denied, saying they tried to protect the youngsters and stop them from being taken away by unidentified men.
Venezuela’s attorney general Tarek Saab sent a letter to his Colombian counterpart, Francisco Barbosa, to request “clarification” of the situation and “any responsibilities that may arise.”
Earlier, Saab said on Twitter that “the full identification of the bodies has not been achieved and they have not been claimed by any family members.”
Colombia’s representation to the UN Commission on Human Rights posted a statement on Twitter denouncing the “murder of a 12-year-old child,” and calling on authorities to investigate.
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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