International

Indigenous people in Ecuador reject oil extraction in Yasuni

Photo: The New York Times

June 23 |

In the context of the Pan-Amazonian Conference held in the Brazilian city of Belen, indigenous leaders urged the unity of all native communities in Ecuador to prohibit oil extraction in areas of the Yasuni National Park (northeast), while the popular consultation that will decide on the matter, scheduled for August 20, is approaching.

The president of the Waorani Nation of Ecuador (Nawe), Juan Bay, said in statements to the press that “it is worrying the bad habit of the oil industry to divide (the communities) by giving a crumb of resources without understanding what is being taken (…) That is why we are calling for unity”.

Bay asserted that they have not received benefits in health, development or education since the arrival of oil extractions in 2016 to the vicinity of Yasuní, a banner of Amazonian biodiversity and land of peoples in voluntary isolation.

Likewise, the indigenous leader condemned the reduction of the territory of the Tagaeri, Taromenane, Waorani and Kichwa peoples, which will provoke a “slaughter” and “confrontations” for the control of the area.

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For her part, the leader of Women and Health of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon (Confeniae), Nemo Guiquita, denounced that the only thing that extraction has generated is “contamination, deaths and illnesses”.

In turn, the leader of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), Alicia Cahuiya, rejected the division between communities by the oil company and, in the event that the option of allowing oil exploitation in Yasuní wins, held the State and Petroecuador responsible for possible deaths in confrontations.

At least two of the seven indigenous communities in the area were in favor of oil extraction. This is the case of Kawymeno and Boca Tiputini, which live from the exploitation of crude oil.

After a ten-year legal battle to have the consultation approved, Ecuadorians will vote on August 20 if they want to stop production in Block 43-ITT, the fourth most productive in the country with 55,000 barrels per day and which represents 11 percent of national oil production.

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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.