International

Trump visits the city he used to stigmatize Venezuelans and promises to “clean” the US

The former president of the United States (2017-2021) and Republican candidate, Donald Trump, sokened this Friday fears of migration in Aurora (Colorado), a city that he himself put at the center of national attention to criticize the policies of the Democratic government and promote false narratives about Venezuelan immigrants.

In a massive rally, Trump raised the tone of the xenophobic ideas that set the pace of his campaign, said that Venezuelan migrants have “infected” Aurora and promised to “clean” the country if he reaches the Presidency.

“On November 5, I will rescue all the cities that have been invaded and conquered,” stressed the former president, among cheers from the attendees.

Trump spoke in front of a false wall, decorated with the words ‘deport all illegals now’ and stood in the middle of the photos of two migrants, pointed out by local authorities as members of the transnational gang Tren de Aragua.

Trump and the myth

Aurora, a suburb of Denver – the capital of Colorado – jumped to the national sphere in Trump’s mouth and through the right-wing media ecosystem, as did social networks such as X or TikTok.

The area has become a kind of myth for the Republicans, who have drawn the image of a city “taken” by Venezuelan gangs.

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In particular, they mention the Aragua Train, an organization born in a prison near Caracas and pointed out for crimes such as extortion and sexual exploitation of migrants in South America.

Local authorities deny this narrative, including the Republican mayor of Aurora, Mike Coffman, who said this week that “concerns about the activity of Venezuelan gangs are gross exaggeration.”

The Denver Metropolitan Area Police has acknowledged having identified the presence of members of the Aragua Train in the area and have pointed to 10 people, several of them already arrested.

The statistics

Multiple studies have shown that the migrant population commits fewer crimes than people born in the US and in Aurora, in particular, crime has decreased by 17% in the last five years, according to data compiled by the local network Denver 7.

Throughout the election campaign, the president has extrapolated individual cases of crimes committed by migrants in the country to stir up fears among foreigners and accuse the government of Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent in November, of promoting a policy of “open borders.”

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“She has committed crimes by allowing these migrants to enter the United States. They are ruining our country,” Trump said.

The Democratic government, contrary to what Trump assures, has imposed harsh restrictions on asylum on the border that have been criticized by international organizations such as the UN agency for refugees.

As a result, the number of irregular crossings on the border with Mexico has reached its lowest point in four years and the number of deportations under this Government – including hot expulsions at the border – are on their way to surpassing those carried out during the four years that Trump was in power.

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.