International

Pope Francis and Trump, a relationship of disagreements marked by migration

The relationship between the late Pope Francis and the US President, Donald Trump, has been marked by several disagreements, especially by the pontiff’s critical position on the Republican leader’s immigration policies.

Trump and his wife Melania will travel to Rome to attend Francisco’s funeral, which will take place this Saturday, a trip that the president himself confirmed, who conveyed his condolences yesterday.

“Rest in peace, Pope Francis! May God bless him and all those who loved him!” he wrote.

In addition, he signed an executive order for US flags to fly at half-mast until sunset on burial day.

The relationship, however, went through more low times than highs, even before Trump was elected for his first term.

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Thus, in February 2016, on the plane back from a trip to Mexico, Francisco regrets that Donald Trump, then a Republican candidate in the US primaries, is a person who “thinks about building walls.” “This is not Christian,” he said.

The pontiff thus answered the journalists’ question of whether a Catholic could vote for someone like Trump. And he added that he did not get involved in advising the vote, but he pointed out: “I just say: this man is not a Christian if he says this.”

On this occasion Trump came out dismissing as “shameful” that a pontiff questions a person’s faith and recalled that the Vatican is surrounded by ‘scandalously high walls’. He later settled the controversy and described the pontiff as a “wonderful guy.”

In January 2017, Francisco congratulates Trump, newly elected president of the United States, and encourages him to maintain “his nation’s commitment to the protection of human dignity and freedom around the world.”

The US president responds that he is “very eager” to meet with Pope Francis, which happened in May of that year, when Trump comes out saying that the meeting has been “an honor.”

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In June 2019, on the occasion of the unexpected summit between President Trump and North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, Francis said, without referring to any: “In the last few hours we have witnessed in Korea a good example of the culture of the meeting. I greet the protagonists with prayer and may this significant gesture constitute another step on the path of peace not only in the (Korean) Peninsula but in favor of the whole world.”

On January 19, one day before Trump’s inauguration as US president, Pope Francis, in reference to the plan of mass deportations of immigrants warns: “This, if it is true, will be a disgrace because it will make the poor wretches who have nothing pay the bill of the imbalance. That’s not good, that’s not how things are solved.”

The following month in a letter to the bishops of the United States, and in a rare gesture, the pope speaks out against deportations and says: “I urgest all the faithful of the Catholic Church, and all men and women of good will, not to give in to the narratives that discriminate and make our migrant brothers and refugees suffer unnecessarily.”

And not to mention Trump, he warned that “what is built on the basis of force, and not from the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and evil will end.”

The White House’s response was that same day by the Catholic Tom Homan, a border security advisor: “I want you to focus – in reference to the pope – on the Catholic Church and fix that and leave border surveillance to us.”

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And for history, the last international leader who visited Francis in the Vatican was the US Vice President, JD Vance, on Sunday, the eve of his death.

“I was happy to see him yesterday, although obviously he was very sick. But I will always remember him for the homily he gave in the first days of COVID. It was really beautiful. May God give him rest,” added Vance, a converted Catholic.

International

Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027

Mexico and Guatemala agreed Tuesday on a 2027 Binational Plan built around five areas of cooperation, along with a schedule of meetings and initiatives aimed at making progress by the end of 2026 on security, border infrastructure, human mobility, development and technical and social cooperation.

The agreement was announced by the foreign ministers of both countries following a meeting in Mexico City.

Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the plan will establish the “direction and priorities” of bilateral relations for next year. His Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, said the meeting allowed both governments to make decisions, schedule activities and revitalize bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

Security and border infrastructure

In the area of security, the two governments have nearly completed negotiations on a new memorandum of understanding for the Mexico-Guatemala High-Level Security Group (Ganseg), which was reactivated in 2025.

The countries expect to sign the agreement in the coming months to strengthen coordination and their ability to respond to shared security threats.

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Regarding their nearly 1,000-kilometer shared border, Mexico and Guatemala agreed to advance infrastructure improvements at border crossings and continue work on a joint cargo clearance program between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tecún Umán, two border areas separated by the Suchiate River.

The measures are intended to facilitate bilateral trade while making cross-border exchanges safer and more efficient.

The two governments will also continue defining a route toward a railway connection between their countries through Line K of Mexico’s Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), with the aim of strengthening economic and community ties.

Migration and development

On human mobility, Mexico and Guatemala will maintain coordination to ensure safe, orderly and dignified returns, while strengthening protection for people in transit.

The bilateral agenda also includes a second phase of the Sembrando Vida program in Guatemala, which is expected to benefit 10,000 people across 15 departments.

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Both countries will also advance initiatives under Juntos para el Bienestar, as well as six technical, scientific and energy cooperation projects approved by the Joint Commission.

The agreements seek to strengthen bilateral ties and establish concrete priorities for cooperation between Mexico and Guatemala during 2027.

International

France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that France will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris described as an attack on two French representatives in Iran last month.

“Two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted on July 19. I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. It has now happened. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” Barrot said in a message posted on X.

The two Iranian diplomats have been declared persona non grata and will be required to leave France within the coming days, according to the French foreign minister.

About a month ago, Barrot said that two members of the French diplomatic staff had been detained by Iranian security forces for several hours. One of them was also subjected to harassment, he said.

The French government described the incident as an “extremely serious act of intimidation” that violated diplomatic immunity.

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The two French embassy staff members were working on programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly initiatives involving artists and researchers.

Iran has denied France’s allegations regarding the incident. The diplomatic dispute comes amid already strained relations between Paris and Tehran.

International

Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C

36 deaths reported due to heat wave in Nuevo Leon, Mexico

More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.

The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.

The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.

Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.

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The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.

The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.

July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.