International
The Government of Peru calls the raid on Boluarte’s home unconstitutional
The Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Peru, Eduardo Arana, said on Saturday that the raiding of the president’s home, Dina Boluarte, and the Government Palace as part of a preliminary fiscal investigation, shows the cracking of the democratic system and constitutionality.
“What they are doing is politicizing and showing that justice has been politicized in a fact that is unprecedentedly attacking the democratic institutionality, the institutionality of the Presidency and, above all, evidencing the break-up of the democratic system and constitutionality,” Arana said along with the president of the Council of Ministers, Gustavo Adrianzén.
Arana explained that more than 20 police officers and 20 prosecutors showed up at Boluarte’s home and at the Government Palace during the raid and that it responds to a “disproportionate, unconstitutional and illegal measure.”
The minister said that there had been improper use of Justice by the Judiciary and the Prosecutor’s Office.
Around midnight on Friday, a team of prosecutors and police officers raided Boluarte’s home for five hours, and then, already in the early hours of Saturday, they did the same in the Government Palace, as part of a preliminary investigation opened on March 18 against the president for the alleged commission of the crime of illicit enrichment.
For his part, Adrianzén, also stated that the raid is “unconstitutional and disproportionate” and denied that the president would resign.
He said that there is no responsibility on the part of the president for the alleged commission of the crimes that are being investigated.
“The political noise that is being made, which affects investments and the whole country, is serious. What has happened in the last few hours are disproportionate and unconstitutional actions,” Adrianzén said shortly before on the social network X.
He added that Boluarte will provide statements to the Prosecutor’s Office when she is summoned and pointed out that the president had asked for a rescheduling and, “strangely, they did not accept it,” but that she continues to collaborate with the investigation.
In addition, he pointed out that the cabinet ministers express their solidarity with the president and “energically reject these destabilizing political actions, which are conseaded in questionable jurisdictional provisions and reaffirm the politicization of justice.”
He concluded with a call to the political and social forces “to monitor the constitutional order.”
“The president and the cabinet are determined to continue working for economic reactivation and security. That’s the priority. No one has thought of resigning for this disproportionate action,” he said.
The Boluarte house was raided around midnight this Friday by a team of prosecutors and agents of the National Police of Peru (PNP) as part of a preliminary investigation opened against the ruler for the alleged commission of the crime of illicit enrichment.
The prosecutors carried out the operation for the purpose of registration and seizure of the luxury watches that, according to local media, Boluarte used in different public activities and has allegedly not declared as part of his estate.
And five hours later, in the early hours of Saturday, they also raided the Government Palace, where they still remain.
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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