International

Colombian general investigated for illegal wiretapping

Photo: Fiscalía Colombia

November 13 |

The Colombian Attorney General’s Office announced Saturday that it will investigate the Army commander, General Luis Mauricio Ospina, for allegedly ordering illegal surveillance and interceptions of his wife’s English teacher, linking him as an alleged member of FARC dissidents.

According to local media, General Ospina ordered to investigate Leonardo Colmenares, his wife’s English teacher, who became friends because of their classes, which caused her husband to have doubts about the real reasons why they met periodically.

Thus, in order to justify this illegal monitoring and eavesdropping, General Ospina made Colmenares pass himself off as a member of the Carolina Ramírez front, of the FARC dissidents commanded by alias “Iván Mordisco”.

The Army commander acknowledged in statements to local media that he gave the order to investigate the teacher and blamed his subordinates for any irregularities they may have committed in this case.

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“According to the allegations published in the media, the military high command allegedly abused his functions and ordered to use the intelligence and counterintelligence services of the Army for personal purposes”, explained the Public Prosecutor’s Office in a statement.

The disciplinary investigation of the Attorney General’s Office seeks to determine if, in addition, General Ospina “would have ordered a set-up, accusing without any evidence a citizen of belonging to a group outside the law, and thus justifying such monitoring”.

Likewise, the control body will verify, through the collection of testimonies, evidence and documents, “if the current Army commander would have incurred in disciplinary offenses, by abusing his power and using the intelligence and counterintelligence services, as well as using subordinates, for purposes far from those of the institutionality”.

In turn, the Army Command said in a statement that intelligence and counterintelligence tasks are defined in statutory laws: “in the specific case of the Counterintelligence function, the activities seek to anticipate, prevent, detect and neutralize actions to protect personnel, facilities, material and information,” the statement said.

And it adds: “This is the basis for the Army Commander’s authority to order the Military Counterintelligence Unit to carry out verification activities in response to information that alerts about a possible violation of the security and integrity of the Commander and his family”.

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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.