International
Mexico to maintain shaky ties with Peru
| By AFP |
Mexico on Wednesday ruled out cutting diplomatic ties with Peru despite the Andean country expelling its ambassador amid diplomatic tensions over the ousting of president Pedro Castillo, who is backed by the North American nation.
The government in Lima, which felt slighted by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s support for fellow leftist Castillo, on Tuesday declared the Mexican ambassador persona non grata.
It gave the envoy, Pablo Monroy, 72 hours to leave the country.
Mexico had offered asylum to Castillo’s family. Castillo and his wife Lilia Paredes face multiple accusations of corruption.
On Wednesday, Lopez Obrador said the Mexican foreign ministry “has decided not to break relations” with Peru.
This was to “give protection to the Mexicans who live in Peru,” the president told reporters.
“We will not expel anyone,” he added.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Tuesday called Peru’s decision “unfounded and reprehensible.”
Mexico City said it was recalling Monroy, “in order to ensure his safety” even as the mission in Lima continues to operate as normal.
Peru had agreed to give safe passage to Paredes and the couple’s two children, who arrived in Mexico on Wednesday morning, said Lopez Obrador.
“We will always defend the right to asylum,” the president said. “It is part of our foreign policy.”
Lopez Obrador has been one of Castillo’s most fervent foreign supporters, along with the fellow leftist leaders of Bolivia, Argentina and Colombia.
Embattled Castillo was impeached and arrested on December 7 after seeking to dissolve Congress to rule by decree.
Castillo’s short tenure was plagued by instability as he fought rabid political opposition and investigations into numerous graft claims.
Castillo is the subject of six separate criminal probes.
Lopez Obrador insisted Wednesday that Castillo was the legitimately elected president of Peru, and accused Lima of repressing demonstrations against his ouster.
Officials say 21 people have died in clashes, and hundreds, including police officers, have been injured.
Lopez Obrador also accused “the so-called political class — the groups with economic and political power” of fomenting the crisis in Peru “for their personal ambitions and their economic interests.”
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
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