International

Bolivian government declares war against illegal mining

Photo: @LaPublicaBO

July 18 |

Bolivia’s Minister of Health, María Renée Castro, in coordination with the Ministry of Mining and the Ministry of Environment and Water, presented on Monday a national plan with actions aimed at protecting the health of the population from the use of mercury in illegal mining.

The minister revealed that, as part of these actions, a Mercury and Health Plan was implemented, still in draft stage, designed in coordination with toxicology specialists of the Andean country, in addition to the help of representatives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

“As a national government we have a very important task that has also been an instruction from our president (Luis Arce) which has been to work for the life and health of our population,” said Minister Castro.

In another moment of her speech, she stated that “In that sense, it also has to do with the issue of mercury and the effect it has on the health of our people, especially those who live near these places where there is mining exploitation”.

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Likewise, the Health Minister stated that the greatest contamination with mercury is that which is carried out through illegal mining. “That is why we are fighting against illegal mining, which has catastrophic effects on the population and the lives of our people, our environment and animals,” she emphasized.

The official stressed that unprotected interaction with mercury can cause negative effects on the development of children, pregnant women and the renal system of individuals who are in close proximity to illegal mining activities.

It also transpired that a Technical Guide for the Clinical Diagnosis, Treatment and Surveillance of Mercury Poisoning in Bolivia is being drafted, which will be revised in the next few days to be ready in August as expected.

The general objective of this Plan is to establish strategic lines for the orientation of health and medical assistance actions to achieve the reduction of the risks and harmful effects of mercury exposure in the Bolivian population.

Among its strategic lines are the evaluation and management of risk in the exposed population, the strengthening of the health system for the care of this population, risk communication, education, reduction, elimination and management of products with mercury and, finally, the management of the regulatory framework for chemical substances.

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According to Minister Castro, “an inter-ministerial round table will be established to analyze this important problem that today is affecting the health of our women, pregnant women, children in the womb, adults and is also strongly affecting our biodiversity,” she said.

Finally, he informed that in the next few days interventions will be undertaken in the departments of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz to gather information in more than 36 communities, to attend to their inhabitants with medical brigades specialized in the treatment of the ailments caused by mercury exposure.

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.