International
High-profile murder trial shines light on Argentine discrimination
January 28 | By AFP | Philippe Bernes-Lasserre |
The shocking story of a teenager beaten to death by eight young rugby players has opened old wounds and shed light on class, race and gender discrimination in Argentine society.
Eight friends, now age 21 to 23, are facing life in prison if convicted of the premeditated murder of Fernando Baez three years ago in a popular seaside resort.
The trial is under way in Dolores, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Buenos Aires, and has gripped the nation, as did the original murder that sparked protests in several cities.
In the early hours of January 18, 2020, a fight broke out in a nightclub in Villa Gesell, a resort city popular with young people.
After those involved were evicted from the club, their quarrel continued in the street, but Baez, then 18, became isolated from his friends and surrounded by the eight defendants, who beat him so severely that he died of his injuries.
The trial opened three weeks ago but precious little light has been shone on who did what that night.
Some defendants have even denied hitting Baez.
The matter of who, or what, exactly was responsible for Baez’s death has inflamed social media debates.
“The question of class plays an important role in this case,” said sociologist Guillermo Levy, a professor at the universities of Buenos Aires and Avellaneda.
“Most of the rugby players are from rich, rural families.”
Some have pointed the finger at rugby itself, and the culture that surrounds it.
“It’s true that it is a cocktail of violence, racism, machismo, alcohol, etc. But I’m going to add the component of rugby training,” Facundo Sassone, a sociologist at the University of San Martin who is also a junior rugby coach, told AFP.
He said the “herd” mentality nurtured within a team environment had a role to play.
‘Why did rugby values fail?’
For all its positive publicity as a sport where respect and camaraderie are integral, rugby has a dark side in which gratuitous violence, and sometimes deeply inappropriate pranks, are commonplace and unquestioned.
“If we… say that it is a sport of values and friendship, why did it fail?” asked Sassone.
“Some issues can be misunderstood by rugby players and can generate situations of violence away from the pitch.”
Some former professional players have spoken out on the matter.
Former Argentina captain Agustin Pichot was one of the people to hit out at his sport after meeting Baez’s family in 2021.
He said rugby had “normalized bad things” by failing “to differentiate good from bad” in some of the practices that have developed within and around the sport.
Rugby by no means has a monopoly on violence — barely a year goes by without a death related to clashes between rival football fans, while drink-fueled fights outside nightclubs are commonplace.
It is a minority sport in Argentina, whose popularity pales compared with football.
But it stands out because it is traditionally played and watched by a wealthy elite.
And that is why this case has captured the public’s imagination in a way that violence between poor people would not, said sociologist and writer Alejandro Seselovsky.
The wealthy white “who kills, that’s like ‘a man bit a dog’, it’s newsworthy,” said Seselovsky.
‘Society needs to reflect’
The racial aspect of this murder is also forcing Argentine society to confront an awkward truth it would rather brush under the carpet.
According to witnesses, the defendants called Baez — whose parents, a bricklayer and a caregiver, are both Paraguayan immigrants — a “shitty black” while beating him.
“You cannot escape the reference to Fernando’s blackness in the assault,” sociologist Sebastian Bruno, an immigration specialist, told AFP.
The “racism and classism” is obvious, said Bruno, although Levy points out that it “doesn’t mean they wouldn’t have attacked him if he weren’t” Paraguayan.
In a country where the majority of the population is descended from white Europeans, mostly from Spain, Italy or Germany, the term “black” has been widely used to describe indigenous people or migrants from neighboring countries viewed as inferior, said Bruno.
“We need to reflect on the society that produced this,” said Levy.
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
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoTrump and Zelensky hold “very productive” meeting in Rome during Pope’s funeral
-
International5 days agoCardinals seek a “unifier” as they prepare for conclave to elect new pope
-
International4 days agoNine dead after driver runs over crowd at Vancouver Street Festival
-
International3 days agoColombia sees deadliest surge in violence since FARC peace deal
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemala sees road blockades amid protests against lawmaker pay hikes
-
International3 days agoSpain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
-
International4 days agoKing Charles III expresses deep sadness after Vancouver festival tragedy that left nine dead
-
International3 days agoConclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
-
International3 days agoMexican activist who exposed pornography ring found dead in Veracruz
-
International3 days agoMadrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
-
International20 hours agoVatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
-
International20 hours agoKristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president