International

Pontiff voices solidarity with Gaza, calls for peace amid ongoing war

Pope Leo XIV expressed the Church’s solidarity on Sunday with the people of the “martyred land” of Gaza, affirming that there can be no “future built on violence, forced exile, or vengeance.” His remarks came at the conclusion of the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square.

“The entire Church expresses its solidarity with the brothers and sisters suffering in this martyred land,” the Pope declared, as Israel intensifies its military operations in the Palestinian territory, already devastated by nearly two years of war. “Nations need peace,” he added, addressing members of Catholic associations gathered in the square behind a banner that read Peace for Gaza.

Israel launched a major offensive in Gaza City on Tuesday, with the stated aim of destroying the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack in Israel triggered the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

The latest assault, widely criticized by the international community, has forced hundreds of thousands of residents to flee southward.

International

Trump says GOP ‘learned a lot’ after democratic election wins

U.S. President Donald Trump said that he and the Republican Party “learned a lot” from the Democratic victories in Tuesday’s state and local elections. He also compared Democrats to “kamikaze pilots” over the ongoing budget standoff.

Speaking at an event with Republican senators on Wednesday, Trump described the results as an unexpected setback.

“These were very Democratic areas, but I don’t think it was good for Republicans. In fact, I don’t think it was good for anyone. But we had an interesting night and we learned a lot,” he said during remarks broadcast by the White House.

Trump agreed with pollsters that two key factors led to Republican losses in New York’s mayoral race and the gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia.

International

Bolivia’s Jeanine Áñez freed after Supreme Court annuls her conviction

Former Bolivian interim president Jeanine Áñez was released from a women’s prison in La Paz on Thursday, where she had spent more than four and a half years for an alleged coup, after her conviction was annulled, AFP journalists confirmed.

Dozens of supporters and family members gathered outside the facility to celebrate her release. Áñez left the prison waving a Bolivian flag around 15:00 GMT.

“It is comforting to see that justice will once again prevail in Bolivia. She was the only woman who took on the role with bravery and courage,” said Lizeth Maure, a 46-year-old nurse who had come to show her support.

Áñez, a 58-year-old lawyer and conservative politician, governed Bolivia for nearly a year until November 2020, when she handed power to leftist leader Luis Arce.

She was arrested in 2021 and sentenced the following year to 10 years in prison for “resolutions contrary to the Constitution,” accused of illegally assuming the presidency after Evo Morales resigned in 2019 amid social unrest.

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CEL

Her sentence was overturned on Wednesday by the Supreme Court of Justice, Bolivia’s highest judicial authority.

The court ruled that Áñez should have been subjected to a “trial of responsibilities” before Congress— a constitutional process reserved for sitting presidents, vice presidents, ministers, and top judges — rather than prosecuted in an ordinary criminal court.

As she was welcomed by relatives and supporters upon release, Áñez declared:
“I feel the satisfaction of having fulfilled my duty to my country, of never having bowed down. And I will never regret having served Bolivia when it needed me.”

International

Peru declares Mexico’s president Persona Non Grata over political asylum dispute

Peru’s Congress declared Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum persona non grata on Thursday, accusing her of “unacceptable interference in internal affairs” after granting political asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez.

The motion, introduced by right-wing parties, passed with 63 votes in favor, 33 against, and two abstentions. Lawmakers argue that Sheinbaum has maintained a hostile stance toward Peru since taking office.

Peru severed diplomatic relations with Mexico on Monday following the asylum decision. Chávez, who is facing charges for her alleged involvement in former President Pedro Castillo’s failed coup attempt in December 2022, remains under protection at the Mexican embassy residence in Lima.

Following the diplomatic break, interim President José Jerí said on X that Mexico’s chargé d’affaires in Peru, Karla Ornela, has been notified by the foreign ministry that she must leave the country within a strict deadline.

The Mexican government condemned Lima’s decision as “excessive and disproportionate,” asserting that offering asylum to Chávez is a legitimate act grounded in international law and does not constitute interference in Peru’s domestic matters.