International

María Corina Machado warns of “maneuver” to “prevent the registration” of her candidate

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado warned of the implementation of a “maneuver” that seeks to “prevent the registration” of the presidential candidacy of July 28 of Corina Yoris, chosen by the majority anti-Chavism as its candidate in the face of the disqualification that prevents the former liberal deputy from competing.

“I alert Venezuelans and the world of the maneuver underway to prevent the registration in the CNE (National Electoral Council) of the candidate of all the democratic unity of Venezuela, Corina Yoris,” Machado wrote on the social network X.

The registration period for presidential candidates, which began on Thursday, ends next Monday, March 25, according to the electoral schedule.

Previously, the main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), denounced that they have not allowed “access to the (electoral) system to be able to apply” to Yoris.

However, he reiterated that “nothing and no one” will “take them off the electoral route to achieve, with the force of the majority vote, political change” in the country.

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During the day, several politicians and parties that are part of this anti-chavist coalition have rejected these alleged impediments, through messages published on social networks with the label ‘Let Corina register’.

In the opinion of Vente Venezuela (VV), the formation led by Machado, Yoris “does not allow her to be registered” for “only one reason: they are afraid of him.”

For its part, the La Causa R party said, through X, that “(President Nicolás) Maduro and his accomplices want to impose on the opposition candidate.”

Yoris – with a degree in Philosophy, Letters and a doctor in History – unanimously chosen within the PUD and has “all the support” of Machado, who assured that she will maintain her fight against the disqualification that prevents her from competing in elections for public office until 2036.

According to Machado, the decision is part of an agreed mechanism to “face this obstacle,” in reference to its disqualification, ratified in January by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ).

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Vente Venezuela clarified that Yoris will be registered as a “unitary representative” of the opposition in the presidential elections “while the irrita disqualification is resolved.”

Meanwhile, the head of state, Nicolás Maduro, confirmed that he will seek a second consecutive re-election, although it is not yet known what day he will go before the CNE to formalize his aspiration.

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.