International
Colombia: if foreign relations with Israel have to be suspended, we will suspend them.
October 16 |
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, expressed this Sunday that if it was necessary to suspend foreign relations with Israel, he would do so since “we do not support genocide”.
Through his account on the social network X (formerly Twitter), the head of state made a statement following statements given by the spokesman of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Lior Haiat, who announced that his country decided to stop security exports to Colombia.
“If foreign relations with Israel have to be suspended, we suspend them. We do not support genocides. The president of Colombia is not insulted. I call on Latin America to show real solidarity with Colombia. And if it is not capable, it will be the development of history that will say the last word as in the great Chaco war”, expressed Petro.
Furthermore, he assured that neither the “Yair Klein, nor the Raifal Eithan will be able to say what is the history of peace in Colombia” and recalled that “they unleashed the massacre and genocide” in the South American nation.
The President commented that the people of Israel are asking for help in the peace of Colombia, in the peace of Palestine and the world. “Colombia, as Bolivar and Nariño taught us, is an independent, sovereign and just people,” he said.
Likewise, Petro declared that someday the army and government of Israel “will ask us for forgiveness for what their men did in our land unleashing genocide.”
In his message, the president referred to Yair Klein, who is an Israeli mercenary who traveled to Colombia on three occasions between 1987 and 1988, according to local media, to plan the training of paramilitary groups and who had contacts with various institutions, including the Administrative Department of Security (DAS).
Israel’s decision comes after the statements made by the Colombian president in response to the new attacks and the siege by the occupation forces against Gaza.
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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