International

Xóchitl Gálvez assures that she will be the “braver” president in the face of crime

The opposition candidate for the presidency of Mexico, Xóchitl Gálvez, assured during her campaign closure in Nuevo León (north) that she will be the “bravest” president to face the wave of violence that the country is experiencing and has left 186,000 homicide victims, 50,000 missing and 12,000 minors murdered.

At the event, which was held at the facilities of the Monterrey Arena, the candidate managed to bring together about 17,000 people, supporters of the ‘Strength and Heart for Mexico’ coalition, which is made up of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the National Action Party (PAN) and the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD).

During his message, Gálvez, 61, asked those present if Mexico was better in security, medical care and education.

“I’m going to ask you a few questions, is security better now than ever? Of course not, 186,000 people murdered, 50,000 people missing, you are living it here in Nuevo León; 12,000 children murdered, 40,000 young people murdered, that is the result of a security strategy where hugs have been for criminals and bullets for citizens,” he said.

However, he mentioned that this strategy will be over because Mexicans “will have the bravest president.”
He also noted that under the administration of the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the health system has been deficient.

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“lack of medicines, hospitals are falling apart, 50,000,000 Mexicans do not have social security,” he said.

He also questioned education in Mexico and said that more than a million students left school with the current government.

In this sense, he affirmed that Mexico has retreated in educational matters because the Government of Morena, rather than betting on technology, has done so to ideology, and regretted the legacy of division left by López Obrador.

“No divided country is moving forward, that’s why we are all going to work hand in hand,” he said.

He added that Mexico needs to meet the needs of everyone: the countryside, teachers, seeking mothers.

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During the event, the batons and cries of support were not long in coming for the candidate and most of those present wore pink that identifies the coalition.

Candidates for the various popularly elected positions of the ‘Fuerza y Corazón por México’ coalition were also present, such as the candidates for mayor’s offices in Nuevo León, local, federal and Senate councils.

The polls place Gálvez behind the ruling candidate, Claudia Sheinbaum, while in a distant third place is the also opposition Jorge Álvarez Máynez, of the Citizen Movement.

Mexico, whose Constitution does not allow presidential re-election, will have the largest elections in its history, since 98 million voters are called to renew more than 20,000 positions, including the Presidency, the 500 deputies, the 128 senators and nine state governments.

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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.