International
Argentina Pride march hails progress, calls for more rights laws
AFP
Thousands of people on Saturday celebrated the progress made in Argentina by LGBTQ and women’s rights groups with hours of music and marches in downtown Buenos Aires.
The demonstration had a festive atmosphere, but the head of the state anti-discrimination office, Ornella Infante, told reporters: “We celebrate the victories obtained, but we also demand Congress deal with” trans rights and anti-discrimination bills that have been proposed.
The square in front of Congress and the historic Plaza de Mayo were packed with activists for the 30th Pride march.
People danced in the streets, musicians performed, and people in elaborate costumes held a parade of floats to celebrate a wide range of identities.
“We ask for the law as historical reparation. We have elderly women who have been persecuted. They have not been able to study or access health care,” Mary Robles, 60, a leader of the Association of Transsexual and Transgender Transvestites of Argentina (ATTTA), told AFP.
“They are 30 years of struggles, resistance, achievements such as the equal marriage law and gender identity law,” said Marcela Romero, another ATTTA leader.
People at the march also carried signs that read “Missing Teruel,” referring to Tehuel de la Torre, a 22-year-old trans man who disappeared in March when he left home for a job interview.
Marchers demanded more information on his whereabouts.
Argentine President Alberto Fernandez also took part in the march, writing on Twitter, “The LGBTI+ flag flies all over the country with great reasons to celebrate. A collective that has our commitment to continue working for a more just, free and equal society.”
His government also set up a truck from the health ministry to give out Covid-19 vaccines to marchers. Argentina has recorded 5.2 million cases of the coronavirus with more than 116,000 deaths.
Of its 45 million people, 35 million have received at least one vaccine, and 26 million are fully vaccinated.
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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