International
Venezuelan President: we had a great triumph of diplomacy for peace
December 19 |
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, highlighted on Monday that “we had a great triumph of diplomacy for peace” on the direct dialogue held with Guyana on the territorial dispute over the Guayana Esequiba.
During his program Con Maduro +, the head of state thanked the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom), as well as the other authorities that made possible “that historic meeting, face to face, where we brought the documented truth of Venezuela”.
“There was no truth from Venezuela about our historical rights that we did not bring to the table there, and I think we had a great triumph of diplomacy for peace, of diplomacy to advance in the rescue of our historical rights,” the president stressed.
In addition, he spoke of the declaration presented after the high-level dialogue held, last December 14, in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines between the delegations of Venezuela and Guyana, indicating that it should be known by all.
“If we achieved something with the campaign and the debate for the referendum, it was that millions of Venezuelan men and women became aware of the issue of the historical claim over our Essequibo; 150 years of struggle and today we have put the issue of the Essequibo in the first place of priority so that, once and for all, Venezuela recovers its historical rights”, he emphasized.
Likewise, he recalled that in the last consultative referendum the people spoke and “we have to respect the mandate of December 3, and move forward through diplomacy, move forward through the legal struggle, the political struggle, move forward with great strength so that, sooner rather than later, Venezuela may have the historic achievement of fully recovering its rights over the Essequiba Guiana. Essequiba Guyana belongs to Venezuela”.
President Maduro thanked again those who made possible the direct dialogue with Guyana and, particularly, he spoke of the role played by his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, for “understanding, for peace, and so that US imperialism does not wage a war as they want with the Southern Command here in the Caribbean, here in South America. I think it has been a step forward and it is the first impact” of the December 3 referendum.
Rejection to the interference in the controversy over the Essequibo
For his part, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil previously rejected, through his account on the social network X (formerly Twitter), the interference of the United Kingdom in the territorial controversy with Guyana over the Essequibo.
“The ex-empire, invader and slaver, which illegally occupied the territory of the Essequiba Guiana and acted in an artful and crawling manner against the interests of Venezuela, insists on intervening in a territorial controversy that they themselves generated”, declared the Foreign Minister, in reference to the visit to Guyana of the United Kingdom Undersecretary of State for the Americas and the Caribbean, David Rutley.
Foreign Minister Gil asserted that the only valid action of the United Kingdom will be the recognition “of its responsibility before international law and the obligations derived from the Geneva Agreement of 1966”.
Then, following a message issued by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Rutley’s visit, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister urged him to “instead of sending ridiculous messages of intrigue, take charge, with true honor, of the commitments assumed in 1966”.
“In that task we have committed ourselves to Guyana and Venezuela, in order to reverse one of the effects of colonialism and imperial arrogance in our region”, he stressed.
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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