International

López Obrador’s head of Security will be the main secretary of the Sheinbaum Government

The current Secretary of Security of Mexico, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, will be the head of the Ministry of the Interior (Segob) of the Government of Claudia Sheinbaum, so the main position of her cabinet will be in the hands of one of the closest profiles to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as announced on Thursday by the future president of the country.

Rodríguez has been head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) since October 2020, so she is considered one of López Obrador’s preferred officials, and previously she was Secretary of the Government of Mexico City (2018-2020) in the local mandate of Sheinbaum (2018-2023), to whom she is also close.

The Segob is the most important position of the Government of Mexico after the presidency, since its holder is responsible for replacing the president in case of absence, conducting domestic policy, implementing immigration measures and negotiating with unions, companies, governors and the other powers.

“He has a vast experience and we have worked together and I know that the Ministry of the Interior will perform in an excellent way and with a lot of professionalism and honesty,” Sheinbaum said when announcing it at an event in Mexico City.

As Secretary of Security of the federal government, Rodríguez has received criticism because the crisis of violence has not been resolved, with a cumulative of more than 184,000 homicides so far since the six-year term of López Obrador (2018-2024).

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While the opposition has accused it of ceding public security tasks to the Armed Forces, since the National Guard, created by the president as a civilian body in practice, obeys the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena), although there is still a lack of constitutional reform to formalize this management.

The elected president, who will be the first president of Mexico, highlighted that Rodríguez, “of course, is the first woman in the history of Mexico to hold this position” of Security.

Rodríguez was the main appointment of Sheinbaum’s third cabinet announcement, who will take over on October 1 and still needs to appoint head of key units such as Labor, Defense and Navy.

The official promised to continue with the “second floor of the Fourth Transformation of Mexico,” in reference to López Obrador’s political movement.

“It is a privilege to walk by your side as the first woman president in the history of our country, with you we arrived all together, grandmothers, mothers and daughters, a high responsibility, like the one you trust me now, requires a high commitment as well,” Rodríguez said.

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He also guaranteed that “there will always be coordination and dialogue,” in addition to “acting with respect and civility.”

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.