International
The Prosecutor’s Office asks to prevent Peru’s departure from the suspended attorney general Patricia Benavides

The Prosecutor’s Office of Peru sued before a supreme court the impediment of leaving the country for the suspended attorney general, Patricia Benavides, investigated for allegedly leading a network of influence trafficking.
The request presented by the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office Specialized in Crimes Committed by Public Officials before the Supreme Court of Preparatory Investigation is based on a procedural danger due to the probable belonging to the criminal organization of the investigated, backed by “numerous elements of conviction,” the Public Prosecutor’s Office said in its social network X account.
This request from the Prosecutor’s Office is known after a team of anti-corruption prosecutors arrested seven people and intervened 21 properties in Lima. The above as part of the investigation of the alleged corrupt network in the Prosecutor’s Office for which Benavides has been suspended from charge.
The Public Ministry reported that the operation was carried out by the Special Team of Prosecutors against Corruption in Power (Eficcop). It had the support of 23 prosecutors and more than 100 police officers.
The operation began at 03:40 am (08:40 GMT) and resulted in the preliminary arrest of seven people for the alleged commission of the crimes of criminal organization, aggravated collusion, influence peddling and others, in addition to 21 raided homes.
The intervention is carried out within the framework of the investigations by prosecutor Christian Niño Torres, against Jaime Villanueva, Miguel Girao, José Luis Castillo and others who, according to official information, have been linked to Benavides.
Benavides described the operation as a “coarse maneuver” made to “force” his dismissal.
“I reject the crude maneuver, evidently agreed to set up a psychosocial with prosecutors and police to impress the authorities and public opinion and thus force the unjust dismissal,” he said in a video shared on social networks of his lawyer Jorge Del Castillo.
At the end of November, the National Board of Justice (JNJ) opened a lawsuit in Benavides. For the investigation that Eficcop follows him following the complaint of an alleged influence trafficking network in the Prosecutor’s Office.
Benavides, who was suspended from office for six months, said that he is a victim of “an arbitrariness” motivated “by political interests.”
International
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Purse Stolen in D.C. Restaurant Heist

The purse of Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, was stolen on Sunday night at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., Fox News Digital confirmed through several agency sources.
The handbag, taken by a white male wearing a mask, reportedly contained $3,000 in cash along with personal documents, including her passport, keys, driver’s license, and DHS badge, according to an agency spokesperson.
“Her entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren. She was celebrating her retirement by treating them to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,” the spokesperson added.
Crime continues to be a significant issue in the U.S. capital, particularly theft. However, violent crime reached its lowest level in 30 years last year, according to the Office of the Attorney General at the time.
International
Pope Francis: The Quiet Architect Behind the U.S.-Cuba Thaw

When then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro announced the reestablishment of diplomatic relations in December 2014—after decades of hostility—there was a third figure present in both speeches: Pope Francis.
This thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations—later reversed by Donald Trump—was the result of behind-the-scenes negotiations personally encouraged by Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, just over a year after becoming head of the Catholic Church.
Upon learning the news of the breakthrough, the pontiff humbly stated, “This was made possible thanks to the ambassadors and to diplomacy,” which he called “a noble, very noble job.”
In 2015, months after the announcement, Raúl Castro visited the Vatican and met with the pope. Over time, Castro developed a fondness for Francis that he never had for his predecessors, Benedict XVI and John Paul II. “If the Pope continues talking like this, sooner or later I’ll start praying again and return to the Catholic Church—and I’m not joking,” said the younger Castro, who, like his brother Fidel (1926–2016), had been educated by Jesuits—the same order to which Pope Francis belonged.
Pope Francis visited Cuba later that year. Just days before his arrival, the Cuban government announced the pardon of 3,522 common prisoners as an act of clemency.
While in Havana, the pope met with Fidel Castro, who gave him a first edition of the book Fidel and Religion by Brazilian friar and liberation theologian Frei Betto.
Criticism from the Opposition
Francis’s diplomatic approach also drew criticism from parts of the Cuban opposition. In a 2022 interview with Univision, the pope revealed he had “a human relationship” with Raúl Castro.
International
Dominican Republic Declares Three Days of Mourning for Pope Francis

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has declared three days of national mourning starting Tuesday following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88 in his residence at the Casa Santa Marta.
In an official decree, Abinader highlighted the pope’s legacy “as a global leader who promoted significant reforms within the Catholic Church and was known for his humility, openness to dialogue, and commitment to peace among nations.”
During the mourning period, the national flag will be flown at half-staff at military facilities and public buildings.
According to a statement from the Office of the Presidency, although Pope Francis never visited the Dominican Republic during his papacy, he maintained a close relationship with the country. He expressed solidarity and empathy during difficult times, including offering prayers for the victims of the recent tragedy at a Santo Domingo nightclub on April 8, which claimed 232 lives and left more than 180 injured.
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