International

UN: forced sterilizations in Peru in the 90s would constitute a crime against humanity

The policy of forced sterilizations in Peru during the government of Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), of which more than 300,000 women were victims, was a form of violence directed “particularly against indigenous, rural and disadvantaged women” that could be considered a crime against humanity, a UN committee of experts ruled on Wednesday.

“Generalized or systematic forced sterilization could constitute a crime against humanity according to the Rome statute,” said the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which expressed its concern about the law enacted by Peru that prevents the prosecution of this type of serious crimes if they were committed before 2002.

The conclusion of the group of 23 experts (22 women and one man) was adopted after reviewing a complaint filed by five victims forcibly sterilized between 1996 and 1997, as part of the birth policies developed by the Peruvian Government, of which 25,000 men were also victims.

Sterilizations in Peru without the consent of the victims

“The victims described a consistent pattern of coercion, pressure or deception to undergo sterilizations in clinics without adequate infrastructure or trained personnel,” said committee member Leticia Bonifaz.

He added that the procedures were carried out without the consent of the victims, some of them unable to fully understand the nature of the operations.

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

The committee stressed that Peru did not comply with its obligation to properly investigate these violations or to adequately compensate the victims, so it made an urgent appeal to the State to accelerate or expand its investigations, providing financial compensation and psychological support.

Testimonies of those affected

The committee’s decision collected testimonies such as that of a victim from the department of Huánuco, in the north center of the country, who was arrested in the street by medical practitioners in 1996, subsequently sedated and when she woke up she was told that she was “cured” because she could no longer have children.

Immediately after the intervention she had to walk home for two hours, without any postoperative care, and her husband abandoned her when she discovered that the sterilization, the document pointed out, putting this case as an example of the serious consequences on physical and mental health that those campaigns had.

The case was presented in 2020 to the United Nations committee, in charge of ensuring compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, ratified by Peru in 2001.

Violent campaign against women

Although there were also male victims of sterilizations, the committee interpreted that this campaign was especially violent with women, due to the different nature of the interventions and the associated surgical risks.

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

“They were part of a systematic and widespread attack against rural women of peasant or indigenous origin, and the policy resulted in the annulment and replacement of their reproductive autonomy,” Bonifaz denounced.

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_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_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.