International
The president-elect of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, promises repatriation of migrants crossing the Darién
José Raúl Mulino promised during his proclamation act as president-elect of Panama repatriations for migrants crossing the Darién, the border jungle with Colombia. He will do it with international help and “respecting” human rights.
“Panama and our Darién is not a transit route. No, sir, that’s our border. The concept of closure that I have outlined implies a philosophical concept that is related to closing the border on the basis that we will start, with international help, a repatriation process with all respect for human rights,” Mulino said in his speech.
“So that those there and those who would like to come know that the one who arrives here will be returned to their country of origin,” he added.
The National Scrutiny Board made Mulino official as the new president for the period 2024 – 2029 and gave him the credentials during an event in Panama City.
However, the new Government officially begins on July 1, after a staggered transition process that will begin on June 3.
Panama has become the epicenter of an unprecedented migration crisis. So far this year, more than 130,000 people, mostly Venezuelans, have already passed through the Darién on their way to North America, a number that could exceed the historic figure of 520,000 migrants in 2023.
“Not only do we finish a cycle in the democratic life of our country, but we end that cycle peacefully. Everything is left behind as far as I’m concerned, everything that happened in this election that was unprecedented. Those facts and circumstances are unprecedented,” Mulino said.
And he added: “That for me is part of a memory that I don’t want anyone to live. I will make every effort within 5 years so that by this time the new president assumes power in a peaceful transfer in free elections.”
Mulino, a politician with a trajectory and a strong character, won the Presidency of Panama last Sunday with 34.2% of the votes, supported by the Realizing Goals (RM) and Alianza parties, according to 100% of the minutes already scrutinized.
He accidentally became a presidential candidate, two months before the elections, since he was the running mate of former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009 – 2014) until the former governor was politically disqualified after being sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for laundering. Case that led him to take asylum at the Embassy of Nicaragua in Panama.
Mulino, 64, acknowledged during his speech that the elections were “unique” and “unpublished”, with a high turnout (77.64%).
He applauded the triumph of the independent candidacies, led by young people who won 20 of the 71 seats in Parliament. Thus becoming the first force within the Legislature and displacing traditional parties to a second place.
He reiterated his intention to govern alongside the opposition, extending his hand to that independent bench.
“The most important thing is the message of Sunday, May 5, that the political renewal of the country began (…) the number of (independent) deputies in the National Assembly was impressive and I sent a clear message, that you have to do things right thinking that everything is final,” he said.
Mulino spoke of working for maximum economic efficiency: “there is no money to continue in the francachela that we came with the borrowed money.”
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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