International

Mujica says that in Venezuela “it seems that they play democracy but they don’t play”

The leftist and former Uruguayan president José ‘Pepe’ Mujica said that the situation in Venezuela is “unfortunate” because in the Caribbean country “it seems that they play democracy but they do not play democracy.”

Within the framework of an act of its political force, the left-wing coalition Frente Amplio (FA), and consulted about the concern expressed by governments of various Latin American countries after the disqualification of the opposition candidate Corina Yoris, Mujica declared to the press that “Venezuela is regrettable.”

“It seems that they play democracy but they do not play democracy,” he said, who in turn warned that it is “mistaken” to use the term dictatorship to refer to the government of Nicolás Maduro with a comparison with countries in the Middle East.

“The term dictatorship is ambiguous, what’s in Afghanistan? What do the Taliban have? Are they dictatorships or are they theocracies? And what is there in Saudi Arabia? That is, we use the terms without specifying,” said the former guerrilla who ruled Uruguay between 2010 and 2015.

To this he added that “what is clear is that in Venezuela there is no elementary respect for the opposition and that disturbs and creates a situation that cannot be called democracy.”

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Mujica’s statements come after the pre-candidate for the FA he supports for the internal elections in June was criticized by official pre-candidates for saying that the disqualification of candidates in Venezuela is like “cheating” in a horse race for not letting everyone run.

The Uruguayan vice president, Beatriz Argimón, said last Thursday that in Venezuela there was “a process of recrudescence in what is the dictatorship” to which she defended the decision of the president, Luis Lacalle Pou, to maintain an ambassador in the Caribbean country.

Earlier, the Foreign Minister, Omar Paganini, assured that Venezuela is consolidating itself as “a dictatorship” and that its electoral process “has been completely distorted.”

Paganini thus stressed the importance of the statement in which Uruguay expressed, together with Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay and Peru, its “serious concern” in the face of the “persistent impediments” in the registration of presidential elections before the National Electoral Council.

The presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and France, Emmanuel Macron, also sent a strong message on Thursday to Maduro, whom they urged to hold democratic elections “with the participation of all” after describing as “serious” the disqualification of Yoris, chosen to replace the already banned María Corina Machado.

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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.