International

Petro raises nine points to start the discussion about an eventual Constituent Assembly in Colombia

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, proposed on Thursday nine points that he believes should be included in the discussion on the eventual convening of a Constituent Assembly, an idea that his Government has been thinking about for months.

“First of all, a constituent is the constituent power and the national agreement on the issues,” Petro said in his X account, a day after the liberal politician Juan Fernando Cristo, announced on Wednesday as the new Minister of the Interior, stated that his appointment was made with the purpose of seeking a national agreement that allows the exploration of a Constituent Assembly.

In that sense, the issues proposed today by Petro begin with the “immediate guarantee of the universal right to education, health and pensions,” followed by a “new territorial order.”

Thirdly, the president proposes to put into question “the economic and social development of the excluded territories,” and fourthly, “the agrarian reform.”

Petro’s agenda for this national discussion that may lead to a constituent also includes “adaptation to the climate crisis,” “reform of Justice,” “political reform” and “the pact for a productive economy.”

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Finally, the president proposes “judicial truth and social forgiveness for a definitive peace,” which he considers could be the closure of the long period of the Colombian conflict, since the president not only has several peace processes open with illegal armed groups, but also considers that the State is not complying with the agreement signed in 2016 with the former FARC guerrilla.

Last March Petro proposed, during an event in Cali (southwest), the convening of a National Constituent Assembly if its reforms are not approved in Congress, starting from the idea that the people, as a primary constituent, want it.

Since then, that idea has been a reason for national controversy because the opposition considers that the 1991 Constitution contains the tools to make the necessary changes and therefore it is not necessary to reform it, and they see in Petro’s proposal an intention to seek re-election or extend his four-year presidential term that ends on August 7, 2026.

The discussion took force yesterday after Christ, confirming his appointment as Minister of the Interior, announced that he will seek agreements with the different forces of the country that lead to the convening of a constituent.

Cristo, a veteran politician who was a senator for 16 years and Minister of the Interior during the term of Juan Manuel Santos (2010-2018), assured in a statement that one of his fundamental purposes will be “the search for a true national agreement that allows the possibility of convening a Constituent National Assembly under the parameters of the Constitution of ’91 to be explored into the future.”

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One of the first to reject that project yesterday was former President Iván Duque (2018-2022), who assured that an eventual convocation of a Constituent Assembly in Colombia seeks to perpetuate Petro in power.

“A National Constituent Assembly aims to perpetuate in power the current Government and the Historical Pact (official coalition). The ‘National Agreement’ is a facade to provoke an institutional rupture,” Duque said in his account of X.

Former President Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010), also rejected Petro’s plan and assured: “There is no reason for Colombia to have more delays and decades lost with constitutional uncertainty.”

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.