International

Ecuador’s Constitutional Court examines legalizing euthanasia

Photo: El Universo

November 23 |

The Constitutional Court of Ecuador held a hearing to discuss the eventual legalization of euthanasia in the country, at the request of Paola Roldan, a 42-year-old woman who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and who demands that the State guarantee her a dignified death.

During the hearing, held last Monday, the nine judges that make up the Court received the arguments for and against Roldan’s request. She did so by telematic means, from the bed where she is bedridden, accompanied by her husband. She explained that she has suffered from ALS since 2020 and that since then she has come close to death many times.

She noted that the disease has caused her physical and emotional suffering. “It is humiliating and painful to ask this of you. I understand leaving with dignity. I want to rest in dignity and peace,” she said.

“This is not the struggle to die, I know I am dying, it is a struggle of how to do it (…) in hiding or I can do it held in my husband’s arms,” she said.

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At this moment, Roldán only has control of the muscles of her face and is assisted by a tube that supplies her with oxygen. For two years she has been fed parenterally and receives nutrients directly to her heart through a catheter.

The patient’s defense asked the Court to declare unconstitutional article 144 of the Integral Penal Code, which states that “the person who kills another person will be punished with a prison sentence of 10 to 13 years”. According to the norm, euthanasia would be considered homicide.

In the opinion of her lawyer, Farith Simón, the Ecuadorian Constitution establishes the right to live, but not the obligation to do so. He considered that forcing her to live in her condition, under intense pain, violates her rights.

Among the 16 interventions made during the hearing, 12 supported euthanasia, among them the psychologist who evaluated Roldan, Carlos Reyes, who assured that she does not suffer from any psychological disorder and made her decision in full capacity.

According to press reports, it is now up to the judge in charge of the case, Enrique Herrería, to present a draft sentence for the Court to approve it or not. This process will take a few days.

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ALS is considered a rare disease with no cure. It destroys the nerve cells that control the muscles that execute voluntary movements.

Colombia decriminalized euthanasia in 1997. The Chilean and Uruguayan parliaments are currently studying bills on the subject.

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.