International
The world needs a new Carnation Revolution, defends one of its architects
The world needs a new Carnation Revolution in response to the inequalities that exist in society, said Portuguese Colonel Vasco Lourenço, one of the soldiers who led the uprising that meant the arrival of democracy in Portugal, which next Thursday will be 50 years old.
Lourenço was one of the main responsible for the military conspiracy behind the Carnation Revolution on April 25, 1974 and, although he is proud to have helped make Portuguese society fairer, he considered, in an interview with EFE, that part of that conquest has been lost.
“We had the ambition of a fairer society. And after April 25, in the following years, that was a fact. Portuguese society was much fairer, much less unequal. Unfortunately, in recent years, inequalities have been growing,” said the soldier.
The problem is global and can trigger a new revolt: “There will have to be a new Carnation Revolution. It is not possible for society in the world to be so unequal.”
Lourenço was the operational responsible for the uprising that brought down the dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar and returned power to the citizenry, although he had to live that day from the Azores archipelago because the regime moved him there the previous month.
Half a century later, at the age of 83, he presides over the 25 de Abril Association, the entity that brings together the military who participated in a revolution that influenced the creation of many democratic states in the world, including neighboring Spain, which began its transition after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.
“The peaceful transition in Spain was only possible in the way it was done because there was April 25 in Portugal,” said the retired colonel.
But democratization did not stay in Spain and reached other corners of the globe, such as Greece – after Portugal demonstrated that “the military did not have to do only ‘pinochetadas” -, Brazil and other Latin American countries, Lourenço listed.
And it went further: the independence of the Portuguese colonies in Africa “made the fight against apartheid much easier” in South Africa.
In Portugal and Spain, despite being so close, the paths to reach democracy were very different and this former official considers that in the neighboring country there are still “wounds to heal” from the past.
“In Spain, the civil war caused very conflicting situations. And then the cure of that war was not made (…) Here in Portugal, despite the fact that there was no violence, there was a military rupture that allowed to cure what had happened,” reasoned the colonel, who recalled that the Franco dictatorship was “much more violent.”
With the Carnation Revolution, “the wounds of the time of fascism were healed.” Half a century later, the country has joined the European boom of the far right.
The radical Chega party has 50 of the 230 deputies of the Parliament, the largest number of seats in the hands of the extreme right since the end of the Portuguese dictatorship.
“Chega has risen precisely because the democratic forces have shot themselves in the foot,” defended Lourenço, who regretted that “a large part of the politicians,” when they govern, prefers to serve their own interests than those of the people.
These behaviors “create fields for opportunists, so that populists make promises that they will not keep” and give wings to the far right, he said.
Even so, Lourenço is “optimistic” and trusts that the “spirit of April” is still alive in Portugal.
That spirit was the one that led in 1974 a group of soldiers to overthrow a dictatorial regime implanted 48 years ago and later return power to the citizenry.
The coup was fast and effective and in less than 24 hours the dictatorship had fallen: “It was the best organized and best executed operation that the Armed Forces have done throughout their history in Portugal,” the colonel reflected.
Asked whether the Portugal he imagined 50 years ago resembled today’s, Lourenço replied cautiously: “Yes and no.”
Conquests that they dreamed of such as integration into the international community, peace or democracy, despite their flaws – “I prefer a bad and imperfect democracy to a ‘good’ dictatorship” – have been maintained to this day.
Social justice continues to be the ‘thorn’: “Poverty has increased. In that sense, I would like it to be better, but we are incredibly better,” he said.
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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