Colombia’s Vice President Francia Márquez accused the government on Wednesday of perpetuating racism and patriarchy, adding that she has carried out her duties for nearly three years “without economic guarantees.”

“It hasn’t been easy to serve as vice president. It hasn’t been easy to govern a country with a racialized state and a government that practices racism and patriarchy,” Márquez said during the opening of the forum Promoting Economic Justice for Afro-descendant Peoples and Individuals in Cali, southwestern Colombia.

Her remarks follow her departure in February from her concurrent role as Minister of Equality, which underscored a growing rift between her and President Gustavo Petro. The split deepened after Márquez criticized Petro’s decision to appoint the controversial Armando Benedetti—now Interior Minister—as head of the presidential office.

At the time, Márquez warned in a letter that both her life and her family’s were at risk due to her public denunciations of corruption and her willingness to “call out what is wrong.”

A prominent social leader, Márquez has gained international recognition for her resilience and outspoken advocacy. Her powerful voice made her a political phenomenon and the breakout star of Colombia’s 2022 elections. Petro chose her as his running mate, making her the first Afro-Colombian woman to serve as vice president.

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Márquez has become a symbol of hope, representation, and change for traditionally marginalized communities in Colombian society and politics.

President Donald Trump congratulated Pope Leo XIV, the first-ever pope from the United States, in a message posted Thursday on his social media platform, Truth Social.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has just been named pope. It is a tremendous honor to know he is the first American pope. What a thrill, and what a great honor for our country,” Trump wrote.

“I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a great moment!” he added.

Later, Trump spoke briefly to reporters outside the West Wing about the new pope, who hails from Chicago and also holds Peruvian nationality.

“What greater honor could there be? We’re a bit surprised but very happy,” Trump remarked.

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When asked by a reporter whether he regretted posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed as pope — which he shared less than a week after attending Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome — Trump ignored the question.

Last week, he jokingly said he would like to succeed Pope Francis: “I’d like to be pope — that would be my number one choice,” he quipped.

During the conclave, the Republican politician had expressed certain preferences and hinted at support for a New York cardinal, presumably Timothy Dolan, whom he described as “very good.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a conservative Catholic, also reacted to the election of the new pontiff.

“The United States looks forward to deepening its enduring relationship with the Holy See under the first American pope,” Rubio said in a statement.

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President Trump had a complicated relationship with the previous pope.

May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.

In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.

Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.