International
The figure of Alan García is blurred in Peruvian politics five years after his death
Five years after his death, the figure of the powerful president Alan García (1949-2019) has been blurred without the appearance of a visible heir of his political legacy, or of his leadership in the historic Peruvian Aprista Party (PAP), which even lost its registration in the electoral register for two years.
García committed suicide on April 17, 2019 when he was going to be arrested for his alleged links to the Odebrecht case, although his closest collaborators have insisted during these years that he was the victim of a “criminal conspiracy.”
The controversy about his death was briefly revived last March, when several of his followers, including former Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo, complained about the decision of the Judiciary to authorize the Prosecutor’s Office to check two cell phones that were seized in his home.
Although that decision prohibited the Public Ministry from extracting or recovering information outside the process for the ‘Lava Jato’ case in Peru, Del Castillo assured that it was “outlaw,” since the investigation against the former president “ended with his death.”
Alan García was 69 years old when he committed suicide to prevent a group of police and prosecutors who arrived at his house from preliminarily detaing him for his alleged connection with the Odebrecht case, which he always denied.
He was made a farewell with massive funerals held at La Casa del Pueblo, the historic place of the PAP located in the center of Lima, and his remains were cremated on April 19, 2019.
From the beginning, his death generated controversies and clashes between followers and detractors, which have not been attenuated over time and even led a couple of years ago politicians such as the ultra-conservative Rafael López Aliaga, who has been mayor of Lima since 2023, to affirm that they would request that she be investigated.
In May of that year, former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who is also being prosecuted for alleged corruption crimes related to the Odebrecht case, directly accused the Prosecutor’s Office of having “led to death” Alan García.
His closest followers have always pointed out that “he was the victim of a criminal conspiracy,” which they linked to incidents prior to his death, such as his entry into the Uruguayan embassy, whose Government refused in December 2018 to grant him the asylum he requested with the argument that he was a “political persecuted.”
Shortly before, Odebrecht executives assured that they had given him four million dollars during his second government, which he reached despite the fact that the shadow of corruption already haunted him from his first administration, from 1985 to 1990, when his administration left his country immersed in an unprecedented economic crisis.
Beyond that, and despite the fact that Alan García maintained a very active presence in Peruvian politics, his memory is decreasing both in local media, which in life they dedicated great coverage to him, and in the political space, something that has been consolidated by the absence of representatives of the PAP in Congress.
Although his supporters defend that his legacy cannot be erased, shortly after his death the leaders of his group engaged in internal disputes that generated a crisis that led to his retirement from the 2021 general elections.
Faced with that situation, in September of that year the National Election Jury (JNE) confirmed that the PAP, which was founded in 1930 by Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, had lost its official registration.
Finally, after numerous procedures and challenges, the party managed in March 2023 to confirm that it had been re-registered in the Registry of Political Organizations (ROP) of the JNE, so it will be able, in principle, to participate again in the elections to be held in Peru in 2026.
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
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