International
Bolivia rejects U.S. criticism of its anti-drug efforts
September 18 |
The former president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, and the current Minister of Government of that nation, Eduardo Del Castillo, among others, rejected in recent hours a report prepared by the Government of the United States (US), through which disapproves the anti-drug policy of the Latin American nation.
In statements to a local radio station on Sunday, Morales described the report as “political, contradictory and double standards”. He pointed out that the U.S. “is the country that has one of the highest rates of drug consumption and overdose deaths in the world”.
He called attention to the fact that Washington has always decertified peoples like Bolivia and Venezuela because they are free and dignified, and do not submit to its impositions, he said.
For his part, Del Castillo denounced the day before through his social networks that the report was prepared unilaterally, lacks technical support and has clear geopolitical intentions.
He questioned that the White House report is contrary to international treaties on territorial integrity, sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs of other States.
He affirmed that La Paz only recognizes the International Narcotics Control Board of the United Nations as a qualified international authority to issue an opinion on the subject.
In this regard, he urged Washington not to assume powers that do not correspond to it and to address the “excessive consumption of illicit drugs” among its population, “which causes an uncontrolled increase in international demand for drugs,” he said.
He stressed that Bolivia’s actions in this area have led to a record number of drug seizures, as well as the destruction of clandestine airstrips and illegal laboratories used to process these substances.
He recalled that La Paz is part of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs and that its work has been recognized by the European Union and other Latin American countries.
Jaime Mamani, Vice-Minister of Social Defense and Controlled Substances, joined the Bolivian Government’s questioning and declared to local media that the document issued by the U.S. is “unilateral, biased and political”. He added that it has no value for Bolivia.
On Friday, President Joe Biden sent to Congress the U.S. Government’s Decertification Memorandum, which disapproves for the sixteenth consecutive time the Andean country’s and Venezuela’s fight in this area.
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.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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