International

President Maduro celebrated with the people ten years of government

Photo: Presidential Press

April 16 |

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro celebrated this Friday the tenth anniversary of his government with the people, highlighting their support in various battles and victories.

“I can truly tell you that ten years later, I am proud of the battle we have fought, of the Venezuelan people and of the history we are writing and the one we are about to write,” said the head of state during the inauguration of the Expo Government 2023 in Caracas (capital).

The Venezuelan president stated that in these ten years of administration they have “demonstrated the strength and the path in an intense struggle”.

“We have had a hard time, but we have faced all circumstances, whatever they may be, we have applied the principle of always trusting in the creative powers of the people, who have not failed and have not gone wrong, responding heroically with sacrifice. It has been the turn of the people, the working class, the commoners, the commoners”, he said.

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Likewise, he assured that they will guarantee social rights at optimum levels. “Let no one have any doubt that we will guarantee all social rights created by the Constitution, in revolution and defended by us. We are going for more and better”, he added.

This act was propitious to unveil the milestone 4,500,000 of the Gran Misión Vivienda Venezuela (GMVV) achieved in revolution, after the delivery of 87 houses in the “Cinco Águilas Blancas” housing development in the state of Mérida.

“They know what it is to build 500,000 houses per year, maintain the system of missions, stability and peace in the country, and achieve the economic growth that we achieved last year, and maintain the economic growth that is going to be one of the largest in Latin America this year 2023 with less than 10 percent of the income that Venezuela had in 2013,” he reflected.

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.