International

How has Latin American and Caribbean unity been strengthened?

Photo: EFE

June 22 |

This Thursday, June 22, marks a new anniversary of the Day of Latin American and Caribbean Unity, and is received with renewed encouragement after the electoral triumph of progressive options that promote the integration of the region and the consolidation of initiatives that work towards this goal.

It was in 2001 when the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) decreed that the Day of Latin American and Caribbean Unity be celebrated every June 22, the date on which the Amphictyonic Congress was installed in 1826.

The Amphictyonic Congress, installed on June 22, 1826 in the city of Panama, responded to the dreams of integration that the Liberator Simón Bolívar had and whose objective was to collaborate in the consolidation of the unity of the new republics, creating a confederation of the Ibero-American peoples from Mexico to Chile and Argentina.

In recent years, progressive options in the subcontinent have won elections to establish integrationist governments, examples of which are Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Chile, Honduras and most recently Colombia, which has been governed since August 2022 by the leftist Gustavo Petro.

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After Petro’s victory in the second round of elections held on June 19, the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), stated that his arrival marked the beginning of “a new stage” in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

He also recalled that “when we arrived (in 2018) there were few countries with progressive governments. From our arrival a new stage began and there began to be important triumphs,” he said in reference to Petro’s victory.

Latin America saw an increase in the number of progressive administrations at the end of 2022, with the victory of leftist Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, who defeated the far-right Jair Bolsonaro.

Another recent moment of consolidation of regional integration occurred within the framework of the IX Summit of the Americas, held in June 2022 in the city of Los Angeles, California, which had the characteristic that the host country, the United States (US), excluded the governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

After learning of this decision, Mexican President López Obrador, and others such as those of Honduras, Argentina and Bolivia, among others, conditioned their presence in the continental conclave to the participation of the leaders of the excluded nations.

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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.