International

Nicaragua accuses Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic of interference

The Government of Nicaragua accused the countries of the Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic region of meddling in their internal affairs after rejecting the candidacy of former Nicaraguan Chancellor Denis Moncada as the new secretary general of the Central American Integration System (SICA), according to an official text released on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Sandinista Executive chaired by Daniel Ortega together with his wife, Rosario Murillo, explained that on Tuesday afternoon a meeting of SICA Foreign Ministers was held to decide on the terna that was presented in a “responsible and timely manner by Nicaragua to exercise the General Secretariat of the SICA, which corresponds by law and institutionality of the System, to the people and Government of Nicaragua, without reaching consensus for the arbitrary and unfounded positions of some delegations.”

Ortega and Murillo, both appointed co-presidents for a recent reform of the Political Constitution, proposed a terna of candidates headed by former Chancellor Moncada and also composed of Sandinista deputy Arling Patricia Alonso Gómez and Minister of the Family, Johana Flores, after two previous ternas presented did not reach consensus.

“Once again, the delegations of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic, meddling in the internal and sovereign affairs of the Republic of Nicaragua, intend to dictate and impose their criteria and political interests on sovereign matters, which only correspond to the people and Government of the Republic of Nicaragua to decide,” Managua said.

Managua denounced that “selfish political agendas and interests, unrelated to the regional interest (…) continue to influence the decisions of the Governments that have blocked the legitimate right of the Republic of Nicaragua, with the petty purpose of imposing their political interests.”

20250407_mh_renta_728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

For Nicaragua, “these actions only promote division between the peoples and governments of the region, promoting the accelerated disintegration of this important regional space, an attitude that constitutes a frank violation of the Tegucigalpa Protocol.”

Therefore, Managua called on the governments of the region “to assume a responsible position and to act on the basis of the Regional Regulations and Presidential Agreements that govern the Integration System, but above all to assume an attitude consistent with the interests of our peoples,” and assured that “it will not decline in its struggle for respect for their sovereignty and national dignity.”

At the end of last November, Nicaragua threatened Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic with taking “some measures” against them for opposing the election of former Chancellor Moncada as the new secretary general of the SICA, and described a joint note issued by those four countries in this regard as “disrespectful and imposing”.

The General Secretariat of SICA has been vacant since in mid-November 2023 the Nicaraguan lawyer Werner Vargas resigned from the position for the period 2022-2026, appointed as Nicaragua’s proposal.

The SICA, created in Tegucigalpa in 1991, is integrated by Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic as full members, while Mexico, the United States and other countries have the category of regional observers.

20250407_mh_renta_728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-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.

20250407_mh_renta_728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-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.