International

Former Presidents Alberto Fernández and Evo Morales lead the electoral mission in Mexico

Former presidents Alberto Fernández, from Argentina, and Evo Morales, from Bolivia, lead the electoral observation mission for the Mexican elections this Sunday, June 2, of the Puebla Group, a laboratory of ideas of the Latin American left.

This was announced by the organization through a statement, where it also highlighted the presence of Spanish deputy Gerardo Pisarello, as well as Argentine researcher Silvina Romano.

“The entourage will be led by former Argentine president Alberto Fernández; former Bolivian president Evo Morales; former Chilean presidential candidate Marco Enríquez-Ominami, and former Secretary of Climate Change and Argentine Mercosur parliamentarian Cecilia Nicolini,” the text explained.

In addition, the former president of the Upper House of Bolivia Adriana Salvatierra and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador Ricardo Patiño, among other personalities, will be part of the observation mission, which arrived in Mexico on Thursday.

This entourage is part of the more than 23,000 national and international observers who will be present during election day, as announced on Wednesday by the president of the National Electoral Institute (INE), Guadalupe Taddei.

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“The participation of national observers and foreign visitors in the elections on June 2 not only guarantees the transparency and integrity of the electoral process, but also strengthens our democracy,” he celebrated.

Sunday’s elections will be the largest in the history of Mexico, since more than 97 million people are called to the polls to renew, at the federal level alone, more than 20,000 positions, including the Presidency of the Republic, the 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and the 128 seats in the Senate.

At the regional level, Mexico City, the states of Chiapas (south), Guanajuato (center), Jalisco (west), Morelos (center), Puebla (center), Tabasco (south), Veracruz (south) and Yucatán (south) will renew the heads of their Governorships and, all municipalities, their agencies.

These elections will also go down in history as the most violent, with at least 30 candidates murdered and more than 200 political homicides, while the opposition denounces that organized crime puts votes at risk in almost 30% of the territory.

“During the stay, we will have the important mission of being able to observe the electoral process and, in this way, guarantee the transparency and freedom of the Mexican people,” the statement concluded.

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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.