International

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro criticizes argentine government’s October 12 Message

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro criticized a message published this Saturday by the Argentine government, led by far-right President Javier Milei, in commemoration of October 12. Maduro labeled Milei a “complicit in genocide.”

“Did you see what Javier Milei posted in Argentina on his official accounts? Celebrating October 12 as the great day they civilized us,” Maduro said during a phone-in at a Caracas rally marking Indigenous Resistance Day.

Earlier that day, the Argentine government shared a message “celebrating” the ‘Day of the Race’—a designation that was legally abolished in 2010—highlighting Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas as the “milestone” that marked the “beginning of civilization” on the continent.

Maduro condemned the message as a “false narrative of the past” aimed at imposing a “fascist project that denies the rights of the people, independence, and the future” in the present.

“There is nothing to celebrate, neither Hispanic Heritage Day nor the Day of the Race,” the Chavista leader declared, arguing instead that 532 years ago, there was an “invasion” and “genocide.”

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

Venezuela’s Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, echoed these sentiments, stating on Telegram that Argentina’s Casa Rosada—the seat of the government—had been “turned into a colonized house, dragged down by the lowest anti-national and anti-Latin American interests.”

Over 1,000 people, mostly Chavistas, marched in Venezuela’s capital this Saturday to mark Indigenous Resistance Day and protest what they describe as the “genocide” committed by Spain against the indigenous peoples of the Americas in the 15th century.

Among the authorities present was Jorge Rodríguez, President of Venezuela’s National Assembly, who stated that the “genocide perpetrated by the Spanish empire in this land was crueler, more inhumane, and even more brutal than what the Nazi hierarchy did.”

The rally occurred just days after Venezuela’s National Assembly, controlled by Maduro’s ruling party, urged the Spanish government to abolish the monarchy, calling it an institution linked to corruption and an “expression of the far-right.” The Assembly also called on Maduro to sever diplomatic, consular, and commercial ties with Spain.

The Venezuelan government has repeatedly insisted that Spain “should apologize every day” for the “genocide” of the 15th century and called for the promotion of “channels to achieve recognition, justice, and reparations for these crimes against humanity.”

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

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.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

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.