International
International leaders begin to confirm their presence at Pope Francis’ funeral
International leaders are already beginning to confirm their presence at the funeral for Francisco, which will take place on Saturday, April 26 in St. Peter’s Square.
Since yesterday, Monday, shortly after learning of the death of the 88-year-old pontiff, numerous countries announced mourning measures and sent condolences to the Vatican
Among the earliest when it comes to confirming his trip to Rome is the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who will travel with his wife Melania.
“Rest in peace, Pope Francis! May God bless him and all those who loved him!” the Republican leader wrote.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to travel to Rome to attend Pope Francis’ funeral, according to sources from the Ukrainian presidency to the country’s public agency, Ukrinform, on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian president stressed that Francis always prayed for “peace in Ukraine and for the Ukrainians” and highlighted his commitment “to God, to the people and to the Church.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, whom he praised the day before for his “positive attitude” towards Russia.
“No, the president does not have such plans,” said Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman. Putin, a confessed Orthodox believer who was secretly baptized in Soviet times, met with the pope on three occasions, the last in 2019.
As for who will represent Russia in the funeral pompoms, Peskov assured that there is no final decision and that he will inform about it in due course.
The presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen, António Costa and Roberta Metsola, respectively, have already confirmed that they will attend the funeral.
The presidents of the main institutions of the European Union mourned on Monday the death of Francis, whom they remembered as a guide to move towards “a more just, peaceful and compassionate world,” said Ursula von der Leyen.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, also announced his presence in Rome on the 26th after yesterday, after learning the news of the death, he paid tribute to Francis, of whom he stressed that throughout his pontificate “was on the side of the weakest.”
For their part, King Philip and Queen Matilda of Belgium will attend this Saturday’s religious ceremony after defining the Argentine pontiff as “a great man, close to the most humble and concerned about the problems of the world.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend the funeral, the official residence of 10 Downing Street reported on Tuesday.
So will the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the acting Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro.
Other leaders who have confirmed their presence have been the President of Switzerland, Karin Keller-Sutter, and the interim President of Romania, Ilie Bolojan
From other latitudes they have not yet clarified what kind of representation they will have at the funeral, in the case of China, which has not had diplomatic ties with the Holy See since 1951 and which this Tuesday, however, expressed its condolences for the death of the pope and, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said it was willing to “work with the Vatican to promote the continuous improvement” of their bilateral relations.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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