International
Peruvian Congress to decide on Friday on the suspension of the JNJ
December 14 |
The Peruvian Congress will debate on Friday a motion that proposes the dismissal of the members of the National Justice Board (JNJ) for having suspended Judge Patricia Benavides as Attorney General of the Republic.
The motion was promoted by legislators Jorge Montoya and Alejandro Muñante, from the ultra-conservative Renovación Popular party.
The motion seeking the dismissal of the members of the JNJ counted with 69 votes in favor, 30 against and 17 abstentions.
However, for the dismissal of the members of the JNJ, who accused Attorney General Patricia Benavides of managing a corruption network within the Public Prosecutor’s Office, a minimum of 87 votes of the 130 Peruvian congressmen is required.
After the acceptance, the president of the Congress, Alejandro Soto, called a meeting of the Board of Spokesmen of the different benches to establish the terms of the debate.
At the end of that meeting, Soto informed the plenary that the members of the JNJ will be summoned to appear to exercise their right to defense from 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Friday.
Prior to the vote, two hours of debate have been scheduled where the parliamentarians will engage in discussions before taking the final decision via a vote.
From the other side of the aisle, the JNJ responded that this vote in Congress “would mean a breakdown of the democratic order in Peru and an attack against the constitutional legitimacy of the Legislative Branch itself, with unforeseeable consequences”.
“The JNJ demands once again the respect for its constitutional competences, the independence of powers in Peru and the defense of democratic institutionality, the basis for the wellbeing and progress of Peruvians,” the organization remarked.
It is worth noting that the board suspended the Prosecutor last week and Patricia Benavides responded by filing a request to revoke the decision before the congress, achieving the aforementioned response of the Assembly before the JNJ.
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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