International
Mexican government announces that mining conglomerate asks for dialogue

October 20 |
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador applauded this Wednesday, during the usual morning press conference, that Grupo México is seeking a rapprochement with the Government to talk about the contamination of the Sonora River.
The Mexican federal government considers the mining conglomerate responsible for the environmental accident, and in recent days announced in the same space that they were taking criminal action against the company.
As a result of this, last Monday the Ministry of the Interior received a letter from Germán Larrea’s company “with the intention of establishing a dialogue to address several issues; one of them is to seek a solution to the problem of the contamination of the Sonora River”.
“If demagogy is put aside and the problem is addressed, I believe there is a way out. It is not a matter of cancelling concessions or anything like that, only that the company is not willing to do so. But on Monday, and I welcome this, they have already sought an approach”, said the President to the media present.
According to what was known, Grupo Mexico “is asking that a table be established for a dialogue and a review of the studies made by the Environmental Secretary and to be able to remedy this serious situation of contamination of the river”.
The response from the Government was that “there is the best disposition to carry out this meeting, dialogue, the time required and, of course, that the representatives of the affected people of the Sonora River will also be invited”.
But on this occasion it is not possible to “simulate what was done last time, when they just went along because it was a tragedy,” said López Obrador. The president also added that “we must attend to all those who are sick. Regardless of the result, whether the company does it or not, we have to take care of the people. Health is a right, we are going to do it, we are doing it”.
The incident occurred nine years ago when the company spilled 40,000 cubic meters of acidified copper sulfate into the Tinajas stream, directly impacting the Sonora and Bacanuchi rivers.
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.
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