International
Social leaders demand resignation of Peruvian Health Minister

June 1 |
Social leaders in the northern Peruvian city of Piura today demanded the resignation of the Minister of Health, Rosa Gutiérrez, for what they consider to be poor management of the growing number of dengue cases.
Gutierrez’s resignation was demanded at a sit-in in the center of Piura, capital of the region of the same name, which has suffered 40 deaths and 31,000 dengue infections and similar levels of dengue in the neighboring region of Chiclayo and in the southern region of Ica.
Previously, the parliamentarian Edward Malaga, in a letter, asked the minister to resign because she does not have the necessary professional profile for the position, as she is a nephrologist previously dedicated to administrative positions and lacks epidemiological preparation.
One of the demonstrators in the protest called by the Colectivo Regional por la Salud y la Vida accused the minister of inaction and negligence, because in a previous visit, when there were 20 deaths, she said that the outbreak was under control and in decline.
He added that Gutiérrez offended Piura by affirming that the population is to blame for the advance of dengue because they do not comply with the prohibition of having water tanks in their homes, where the Aedes Egypti mosquito, transmitter of the disease, reproduces on a large scale.
The minister is also criticized for claiming that funds have been transferred to the Regional Directorate of Piura to fight dengue, and therefore she is responsible for the situation.
The president of the Medical Federation of Piura (union of state service physicians), María Lupú, supported the protest and stated that the funds allocated are insufficient to hire more physicians and develop preventive actions.
In addition, she indicated that more doctors are needed, since the doctors dealing with dengue fever in Piura are insufficient and each one can attend up to 50 patients per day, which is detrimental to the quality of service.
The president of the Unified National Federation of Health Sector Workers, Wilder Farfán, also joined the demand for the resignation of the head of Health, due to her poor performance.
According to official figures updated to date, 119,533 cases of dengue fever have been registered in Peru since the beginning of the year, including confirmed (60,710) and probable (58,823) cases, 118 patients have died and there are other deaths under investigation.
There are cases in almost all regions and the Ministry of Health maintains that these are only controllable outbreaks, although the Peruvian Medical Federation affirms that it is an epidemic.
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.
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