International

Gabriel Boric closes January with an average approval rating of 27 %

Photo: DiarioUChile

February 1^st |

The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, closed January with 27 % approval, three points less than the previous month. While disapproval reached 68 %, four points higher than the previous month, published the research firm Cadem in its latest survey.

This level of disapproval is the highest figure since he took office on March 11, 2022. In his first month in the Executive, Boric obtained 28 % of disapproval, but consecutively this percentage increased.

The following month it was 49 %, in May 53 %, in June 54 %, in July 57 %, in August 56 %, in September 57 %, in October 65 %, in November 63 % and in December 64 %.

Meanwhile, 68 % of the participants said that they have lost confidence in the leftist president and only 31 % trust him. When he came to power, Chileans gave him 54 % confidence.

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CEL

In addition, 86 % of Chileans surveyed considered that Boric does not have the experience to govern. Cadem also shared that 68 % believe that he does not have the capacity to solve the country’s problems either.

Another 66 % considered that he will not be able to lead the necessary changes at the right pace. A 68 % said that he does not have authority and leadership and an equal percentage said the same about the government team, ministers and undersecretaries. Likewise, 69 % indicated that he does not have the capacity to manage crises.

The worst evaluated areas of Boric’s government are the fight against crime and drug trafficking, with 78 % disapproval; inflation, with 76 % disapproval; and immigration, with 82 % disapproval.

Other areas of disapproval are education, with 61 %; health, with 67 %; economy and employment, with 68 %; the Mapuche conflict, with 69 %; and public order, with 76 %.

On January 11, Congress approved the fifteenth extension of the state of emergency which continues in the Araucanía region and two Biobío regions until mid-February. This allows the President to order the deployment of the military in areas where Mapuche protests are taking place.

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Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

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.

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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.