International
López Obrador recognizes drug production in Mexico and blames the United States for the consumption
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, acknowledged on Tuesday that there are “crime groups” that produce drugs in the country, although he blamed the United States because its consumption is “increasingly” higher.
“The causes have to be addressed (in the United States) and this will also help us a lot because here there are crime groups that are dedicated to the production of drugs,” he said in the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the National Guard (GN), a body that he conceived in 2019.
However, he warned that “as long as there is consumption as happens, and more and more, in the United States, more problems” occur in Mexico to “confront organized crime” that traffics in drugs.
This is one of the first times that the president, who will replace the presidency of Claudia Sheinbaum on October 1, recognizes the production of narcotics by Mexican cartels.
In fact, at the end of March he stated that there is “very little fentanyl” made in Mexico, after he denied for years the information of the United States Anti-Drug Agency (DEA), which maintains that this narcotic is produced in the country with chemical precursors from Asia.
“We must convince, because we are brothers and good neighbors, Americans so that they address the causes that cause the high consumption of drugs they have,” he recommended to the agents of the GN and a good part of his presidential Cabinet.
He stressed that this situation leads to “very unfortunate” circumstances in the United States, such as the death of young people from overdose, especially due to the consumption of the “terrible drug of fentanyl.”
“What we have to try is that young people do not come out of the families so young, that this custom is revised,” López Obrador suggested.
So he was committed to “helping in any way possible” from Mexico.
On the other hand, the current president described how his administration is “confronting the scourge of violence” with measures such as the daily celebration of the Security Cabinet or the creation of the GN, which López Obrador wants to integrate into the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena).
One of its controversial constitutional reforms announced in February was already attempted in September 2022 with a legal change to include the GN in the Sedena and that, subsequently, was invalidated by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN).
During the creation of the Guard, it was established that the body of 130,000 agents should be in charge of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC).
“It is progressing, not as we would like, but we must take into account that it is a very aggravated evil because they left it for a long time without attention,” he acknowledged.
He opined that, since his entry into the National Palace, the causes that originate violence are being “advered” through different policies, such as “guaranteeing” universal access to health and “that there is social security.”
Also, López Obrador demanded to “take care” that drug use does not grow within Mexico, now “very focused” in some areas, and appealed to the original cultures, the “protective shield” of society, to carry it out.
“Mexicans, I say this with all respect, are not vicious or prone to drugs,” 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
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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