International

Colombia reports on security deployment for local elections

Photo: EFE

October 9 |

The Government of Colombia released this Saturday details of the deployment of the Military Forces and the Police to ensure security during the local and territorial elections on October 29 and the right of every citizen to vote.

In a statement, the Executive specified that 120,193 members of the Armed Forces will be deployed in coordination with the National Police, the Aerospace Force and the Navy.

A total of 86,802 uniformed personnel will ensure security in 4,611 prioritized voting points, out of the total of 12,817 nationwide, with 120,000 polling stations (5,605 in urban areas and 7,212 in rural areas).

Meanwhile, another 7,703 troops will secure national roads and will be present on secondary and tertiary roads. Protection will also be provided to critical structures to provide connectivity, where 20,212 soldiers will be deployed.

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The statement said that 5,299 uniformed troops will remain in a second echelon to provide support to other contingents, while 177 air crews from the Air Assault Aviation Division will be available to deal with any eventuality.

This device will act to “guarantee the security and the free right of all Colombians to exercise their right to vote”, said the statement, which detailed that on October 29, local and territorial authorities will be elected in the country’s 1,102 municipalities.

According to the National Civil Registry Office, 39,011,186 Colombians are eligible to vote.

During the election date, Colombians will elect 1,102 mayors, 32 governors, 12,072 councilmen, 418 deputies and 6,885 councilmen, whose term of office will extend from 2024 to 2027. A total of 132,553 candidates registered for these elections.

Last March, the government of President Gustavo Petro created a 90-measure plan of electoral guarantees for the October 29 elections, among which security and the use of the security forces are prioritized.

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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.