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Pope Francis dead at 88, Vatican says

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Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, who worked to instill progressive influences on the global church while maintaining unity with conservatives amid years of turmoil, died Monday morning, Vatican camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced. 

He was 88 years old.

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«Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church,» Farrell announced.

«He taught us to live the values ​​of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.»

U.S. Vice President JD Vance had just met with the pope on Sunday.

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«I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul,» Vance said early Monday morning in a post on X.

Pope Francis meets with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his delegation during an audience at Casa Santa Marta on April 20, 2025, in Vatican City, Vatican. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

The pope preached frequently on the Catholic virtues of mercy, kindness and humility. He did not shy away from controversy, and American presidents, including Donald Trump and Joe Biden, were not immune from his views. 

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Less than a month into President Donald Trump’s presidency, the pontiff criticized the Republican’s plans for the mass deportations of migrants, stressing that the forceful removal of people simply for their immigration status deprives them of their inherent dignity and «will end badly.» 

In a strongly worded letter to U.S. Catholic Bishops, the pope appeared to counter remarks made by Vice President JD Vance — who had recently converted to Catholicism — after he suggested Americans should care for family, communities and the country before caring about others. 

«Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups,» the pontiff wrote. «Worrying about personal, community or national identity, apart from these considerations.» 

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POPE FRANCIS EXPOSES CONFIDENTIAL DETAILS ABOUT HIS ELECTION AND RELATIONSHIPS IN LENGTHY INTERVIEW 

Pope Francis in Kazakhstan

Pope Francis meets with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and pastoral workers in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 15, 2022. (Reuters/Pavel Mikheyev)

Pope Francis in 2015 became the first pontiff to ever address a Joint Meeting of Congress where he spoke on a range of topics including immigration, family, the death penalty, climate change, extremism, religious freedom and the refugee crisis. 

He joined American bishops and urged American leaders to abolish capital punishment and said Congress has a «role to play» in addressing global warming. 

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In 2022 he questioned then President Biden’s conscience on abortion in an interview during which he described the commander-in-chief’s religious identity and views on abortion as incoherent. «A month after conception, the DNA of the fetus is already there and the organs are aligned. There is human life,» the pontiff said in the interview with Spanish-language outlet Univision. 

He also weighed in on candidates Trump and Harris during the election campaign, where he bashed them both, saying, «Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,″ he said, according to the Associated Press. 

Just weeks before President Trump’s second inauguration, he appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy to be the Archbishop of Washington. McElroy had been critical of Trump’s immigration policies during his first term as president. 

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Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 to Italian immigrant parents in Argentina, Francis made history as the first pope from the Americas — as well as the first Jesuit to hold the office.  

He was elected pope in 2013 after the almost unprecedented retirement of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.  

Bergolio’s father, Mario, was an accountant for the railway industry, and his mother, Regina, was a homemaker and caregiver for her five children.  

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POPE FRANCIS FUELS NEW SPECULATION ON FUTURE OF PONTIFICATE 

Pope Francis obituary, file image of the dead pontiff

Pope Francis, born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is shown here with his family. From left to right, standing, brother Alberto Horacio, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Oscar Adrian and sister Marta Regina, sitting, sister Maria Elena, mother Regina and father Mario Jose Francisco. (API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Throughout his early years, the future pope worked a number of menial jobs. He labored briefly in the stocking factory where his father was an accountant before moving on to other opportunities, including jobs as a bar bouncer and janitor.  

He eventually sought a career as a chemical technician, receiving a diploma in chemistry from the secondary school Escuela Técnica Industrial N° 27 Hipólito Yrigoyen. He also worked briefly in a food laboratory. However, his career in chemistry was short-lived. 

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He entered the priesthood at the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto in Argentina. Francis was ordained a priest in 1969 and made his final profession with the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, in 1973. The same year, he was appointed as a provincial for the order.  

His appointment as provincial was concurrent with the Dirty War, a period of intense state-led persecution of left-wing leaders and political dissidents. Bergolio experienced constant threats to his own safety as he worked to hide or aid in the escape of government targets, including many Catholic faithful.  

Pope Francis obituary, file image of the dead pontiff

Pope Francis’ is a fan of Argentina’s San Lorenzo Futbol Club. (API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

During that time, two Jesuit priests under his supervision were disappeared by the government, drugged and left barely alive in a field five months after their kidnapping. Pope Francis has said he was forced to negotiate with the regime for their release.  

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Bergolio would spend the next two decades bouncing from position to position at the direction of his superiors. He served as a professor of theology, seminary instructor, rector, doctoral student and parish priest.  

In 1992, Pope John Paul II appointed Bergolio as titular Bishop of Auca and as an auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. This was done at the request of Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, who consecrated him to the episcopacy.  

Bergoglio proved vital to the nation’s Catholic community, and he was quickly raised to the dignity of Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires, serving alongside Quarracino and taking over the archdiocese entirely after his death the following year.  

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Bergoglio was given the crimson hat of a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.  

In 2013, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Bergoglio was elected to the papacy, selecting the pontifical name «Francis» after St. Francis of Assisi — a choice that set the tone for the rest of his papacy.  

POPE DERIDES BIDEN’S ABORTION VIEWS, CATHOLIC SELF-IDENTITY AS ‘INCOHERENCE’

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Pope Francis obituary, file image of the dead pontiff

Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after being elected by the conclave of cardinals, at the Vatican on March 13, 2013. White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney, and the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang out, signaling at the time that the Roman Catholic cardinals had elected a pope to succeed Benedict XVI. (Tony Gentile/Reuters)

Pope Francis’s teachings as a priest, bishop, cardinal and pope were deeply influenced by his Jesuit vocation — viewing each person as a unique creation of God, with whom they can have a personal relationship. His ministry and leadership were committed to keeping doors open and making the church approachable to the public.  

It was not only American politics that he had strong opinions of. 

He faced criticism for specific remarks he made against Israel’s military operation in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave «very serious and shameful.» During that same speech, he condemned the growth of antisemitism throughout the world, Reuters reported. He also called for an end to the war in Ukraine and expressed concerns over climate change.

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In 2023, seemingly looking to strike a balance, he formally allowed Catholic priests to give same-sex couples a blessing, which was seen as being a radical shift in church policy, the Associated Press reported at the time.   

Pope Francis is also remembered for living a life of intense simplicity, denying himself a lavish papal apartment in the Vatican upon his election, and opting instead for a two-room suite in the Domus Santa Marta, a residence built by Pope John Paul II.  

Pope Francis washes the feet of a prisoner

Pope Francis celebrates the traditional rite of the washing of feet at the Casal del Marmo juvenile penitentiary on April 6, 2023, in Rome, Italy. On Holy Thursday, Pope Francis went to the outskirts of Rome to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Casal del Marmo juvenile penitentiary, where he carried out the traditional rite of the washing of the feet of twelve of the young people there. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

In contrast to his immediate predecessors, Pope Francis eschewed ornate robes or luxurious clothing. His outfit rarely consisted of more than a plain, white cassock tied with a papal fascia.  

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Pope Francis even dressed down his Ring of the Fisherman — a piece of gold jewelry worn by popes to signify their office — by having it made with silver and only wearing it for ceremonies.  

Francis’s tenure continued the ongoing efforts to investigate decades of sexual abuse claims against priests across the world, including in the United States, with Francis vowing transparency in 2019. 

«Transparency is now being implemented at the highest level,» said Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Archbishop of Malta and Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, after Francis gave legal authorities access to documents about sexual abuse cases and abolished the «pontifical secret» of the cases.  

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POPE FRANCIS DEFROCKS NOTORIOUS BISHOP WHO CONFESSED TO ABUSING HIS NEPHEW 

Pope Francis obituary, file image of the dead pontiff

Pope Francis meets President Donald Trump during his first term in the Private Library of the Apostolic Palace with his wife, Melania, his daughter, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner.  (Vatican/Pool/Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori via Getty Images)

He continued Benedict’s work to root malicious clerics out of the Church hierarchy «with the wrath of God,» appointing task forces and establishing victim aid groups.  

Pope Francis proved frustrating for a wide variety of conservatives, liberals, traditionalists and progressives. 

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His gentle — at times vague and confusing — language on key social issues, such as sexuality and divorce, frustrated conservatives hoping for a more aggressive champion of Catholic moral teaching. 

In July 2017, a group of Catholic clergy and academics sent Pope Francis a «Filial Correction» document alleging seven serious theological mistakes made by the pontiff in public statements. The document’s assertions proved controversial within the Catholic Church and the document was never explicitly addressed.  

Conversely, his refusal to back down from traditional church teachings on abortion, gay marriage, women’s ordination and priestly celibacy frustrated progressives hoping for a more modern church.  

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Echoing his time as a prelate in Argentina, Pope Francis was at times criticized from both sides of the aisle for his heavy hand enforcing Catholic unity on national and international levels.  

Traditionalists voiced intense opposition to his apostolic letter «Traditionis custodes,» which restricted the celebration of the traditional Latin mass in an attempt to squash increasingly separatist conservative movements within the Church.  

Biden with Pope Francis

Pope Francis meets with then-President Joe Biden during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on Oct. 29, 2021 in Vatican City.  (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool)

He similarly shut down discussion of many social issues that progressives have sought to reform.  

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In 2019, Pope Francis told a nun asking him to approve the ordination of women that «if the Lord didn’t want a sacramental ministry for women, it can’t go forward,» adding, «We are Catholics, but if anyone wants to found another church they are free [to do so].»  

The hyper-progressive leadership of the Catholic Church in Germany was a target of his ire after the country’s clerical leaders attempted an upheaval of traditional teachings regarding gender and sexuality. The Vatican issued a series of letters, approved by Pope Francis, accusing the German church of risking separation from the Catholic Communion.  

The conflict with German bishops encapsulated his papacy’s recurring themes of authority and unity, best exemplified in a passage from his «Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Germany.»  

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POPE FRANCIS URGES CATHOLIC VOTERS TO ‘CHOOSE THE LESSER EVIL’ BETWEEN TRUMP AND HARRIS

Pope Francis delivers his speech during the Holy Mass with

Pope Francis delivers a speech during the Holy Mass with newly appointed Cardinals.  (Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

In the letter, Pope Francis wrote, «The universal Church lives in and of the particular Churches, just as the particular Churches live and flourish in and from the universal Church. If they find themselves separated from the entire ecclesial body, they weaken, rot and die. Hence, the need always to ensure that communion with the whole body of the Church is alive and effective.»  

Pope Francis visited dozens of countries, including the United States and Cuba in 2015, and went as far afield as Papua New Guinea, as well as visits to predominantly Muslim countries including Egypt, Morocco and Jordan. 

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Pope Francis struggled with health complications throughout his reign.  

The pontiff dealt for many years with sciatica, a nerve condition that caused immense pain in his leg and at times hindered his ability to walk.  

In 2021, Pope Francis was hospitalized for an intestinal surgery that removed 13 inches of his colon. 

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In March 2023, Francis was again taken to the hospital after experiencing intense chest pain and difficulty breathing. He was treated for a respiratory infection and released after antibiotic treatment. 

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Pope Francis Travels To Mongolia

Pope Francis is welcomed as he arrives at the Apostolic Prefecture on Sept. 1, 2023 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. According to the Vatican, the trip was Pope Francis’s 43rd Apostolic Journey abroad and the 61st country he visited as Pope.  (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

In June of the same year, the pope was brought back for another abdominal surgery to repair an incisional hernia. He was released after making a full recovery.  

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He took a fall at his residence and suffered a contusion on his right arm in January 2025.   

In February, he was once again hospitalized after a bout of bronchitis.  

Following Pope Francis’ death, the Vatican has entered a time of sede vacante — in English, «empty seat.»  

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The Associated Press, Reuters and Fox News’ Annie Butterworth contributed to this report. 


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Soros-backed group among liberal orgs pumping eye-popping cash into Virginia gerrymandering effort

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A group fighting to get Virginia voters to approve an April 21 referendum to let Democrats in the state redraw its congressional maps is being pumped with liberal cash, receiving over $38 million from less than a dozen left-wing entities over the last three months, including from the George Soros-backed Fund For Policy Reform Inc.

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The Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) tracks state spending in Virginia and, according to its database, Virginians for Fair Elections has received $5 million from the Soros-funded and founded entity, which is within his Open Society Foundations Network of groups known for pushing liberal causes. 

Soros’ latest cause is a massive gerrymandering effort in Virginia, where the state’s congressional delegation could go from effectively 6 Democrats and 5 Republicans, to 10-Democratic-leaning districts and one Republican-leaning district, per VPAP. Virginians for Fair Elections is one of the main vehicles pushing Virginia voters to vote «yes» on April 21 to redraw the state’s maps. Virginia’s decision to redraw its maps came after mid-decade redistricting efforts by Republicans in Texas, which significantly changed the state’s electoral maps.

VIRGINIA DEM ADMITS REDISTRICTING PUSH AIMS TO ‘STOP TRUMP’, NOT ABOUT ‘FAIRNESS’

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George Soros pictured on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2020. (Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Tens of millions of dollars have been pumped into the state of Virginia ahead of the April 21 referendum vote, with the vast majority going to the Democratic side of the issue.

Besides money from Soros’ network, in 2026, Virginians for Fair elections received $20 million from the nonprofit counterpart of House Democrats’ House Majority PAC, $100,000 from Sen. Tim Kaine’s, D-Va., leadership PAC, a little over $10 million from the progressive nonprofit that funds ballot initiatives nationwide, The Fairness Project, almost $500,000 from the Democratic Party of Virginia, $1 million from the Global Impact Social Welfare Fund, $1 million from a group called American Opportunity Action, and then several other smaller donations from wealthy liberal backers.

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The main group opposing redistricting, Virginians For Fair Maps, has only raised a little over $3 million from just two donors in 2026. $560,000 came from the Republican Party of Virginia while the remaining $2.5 million came from a group by the same name, Virginians for Fair Maps, according to VPAP. 

OBAMA ENDORSES VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT COULD HELP DEMS GAIN 4 SEATS

Virginia State Capitol

If passed, HB 863 would eliminate minimum sentencing for manslaughter, rape, possession and distribution of child pornography, assaulting a law enforcement officer and other repeat violent felonies.   (iStock)

Despite the fundraising advantage, the referendum is still expected to be close. Since polls opened March 6 for early voting, turnout in Republican-heavy counties has been high compared to the state’s election turnout in November, when Democrats performed very well and Spanberger took over the Governor’s mansion, while Jones took over the attorney general’s Office.

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Democrats in the state have reportedly been urging Spanberger to get more assertive in the redistricting effort.

Democrat Beth Macy, who is running for Congress in one of the five House districts currently held by Republicans, said Virginia Democrats «gotta stop bringing a spork to a knife fight,» according to Politico. She added that it would be «helpful» for Spanberger «to be the spokesperson on redistricting because she did so well and won by so much.»

Soros’ network of groups and PACs has also been a powerful force behind supporting dozens of far-left district attorneys, such as the formerly recalled San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, Chicago’s Kim Foxx, and L.A.’s George Gascon. In 2022, 1 in 5 Americans were represented by a Soros-linked prosecutor, according to data from the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. 

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In Virginia, Soros’ Democracy PAC donated at least $500K to help Spanberger become governor and to help Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, who fantasized about killing his Republican rival and his family, get elected. His PACs have also donated millions to the campaign coffers of far-left district attorneys in Virginia.

Abigail Spanberger speaks

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger offers the Democratic response to the State of the Union. (Mike Kropf/Getty Images)

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Fox News Digital reached out to Soros’ Open Society Foundations and the other top donors pumping millions into the redistricting battle, but did not receive a response from Soros’ group ahead of publication.

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«No one wanted to take this action, but in a democracy, we can’t let entire states rig their congressional maps just to bend to the will of one person. We have to respond. This amendment is a temporary, one-time exception that gives Virginia voters a voice and meets the needs of the current moment, while ensuring Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting process will resume after the 2030 census,» Alexis Magnan-Callaway, a spokesperson for The Fairness Project, told Fox News digital. 

«The ballot measure allows Virginia voters, not politicians, to decide for themselves whether they want new, temporary districts,» she continued. «This isn’t about favoring one party over another. This is about restoring fairness across the board by temporarily changing Virginia’s congressional districts.»

george soros, politics, virginia, state and local, fund raising, campaigning

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La FAO destaca el liderazgo de las mujeres rurales en la agricultura salvadoreña

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La FAO destaca el liderazgo de las mujeres rurales en la agricultura salvadoreña durante el encuentro «Año de la Agricultora» en Morazán./(FAO El Salvador)

La Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAO) en El Salvador ha puesto en primer plano el papel fundamental de las mujeres rurales en la agricultura, a través de un encuentro celebrado en el departamento de Morazán. La actividad, realizada en el marco del “Año de la Agricultora”, reunió a lideresas, autoridades locales, instituciones gubernamentales y organizaciones aliadas, con el objetivo de fortalecer la resiliencia en los sistemas agroalimentarios frente al cambio climático y visibilizar el liderazgo de las agricultoras salvadoreñas.

Durante el evento, denominado “Agricultoras cultivando resiliencia en los sistemas agroalimentarios”, se compartieron experiencias sobre la conservación e intercambio de semillas, el manejo de viveros comunitarios, la restauración de ecosistemas y la implementación de prácticas agrícolas resilientes. Estas acciones buscan no solo garantizar la seguridad alimentaria en comunidades rurales, sino también preservar la biodiversidad y promover la adaptación al clima en una de las regiones más vulnerables del país.

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Uno de los ejes centrales del encuentro fue la exposición de resultados y aprendizajes del proyecto RECLIMA, una iniciativa emblemática en el corredor seco de El Salvador. Este proyecto, ejecutado por la FAO en coordinación con los ministerios de Agricultura y Ganadería, Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, el Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal (CENTA), la Fundación para la Restauración de Ecosistemas y la Adaptación al Cambio Climático (FIAES) y con financiamiento del Fondo Verde para el Clima (GCF), ha logrado beneficiar a más de 50,000 familias agricultoras en todo el país.

La conservación e intercambio de semillas adaptadas al cambio climático aseguran seguridad alimentaria y biodiversidad en comunidades rurales./(FAO El Salvador)
La conservación e intercambio de semillas adaptadas al cambio climático aseguran seguridad alimentaria y biodiversidad en comunidades rurales./(FAO El Salvador)

El enfoque de RECLIMA prioriza la participación y liderazgo de las mujeres en el desarrollo rural. En Morazán, 152 mujeres han asumido el rol de promotoras comunitarias, encargándose de replicar conocimientos y prácticas innovadoras en sus comunidades. Además, 9,109 mujeres han participado en jornadas de restauración de ecosistemas degradados, y 1,041 han mejorado su acceso al agua mediante sistemas de cosecha de agua lluvia domiciliaria, lo que representa un avance significativo en la autonomía y bienestar de las familias rurales.

Durante la jornada, las participantes intercambiaron semillas criollas y variedades adaptadas al cambio climático, exhibieron productos agrícolas diversificados y compartieron técnicas para el manejo sostenible de viveros comunitarios. La restauración de ecosistemas y la promoción de prácticas agrícolas resilientes fueron temas centrales, resaltando la importancia de la diversificación productiva y la integración de conocimientos ancestrales con innovaciones tecnológicas.

La FAO subrayó que el liderazgo de las mujeres rurales es clave para enfrentar los desafíos del cambio climático y garantizar la seguridad alimentaria en El Salvador. En el encuentro, las agricultoras destacaron la necesidad de continuar fortaleciendo redes de apoyo, acceso a recursos y capacitación técnica para consolidar su papel como agentes de cambio en las comunidades.

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Más de 9,000 mujeres participan en jornadas de restauración de ecosistemas y mejoran el acceso al agua con sistemas de cosecha de lluvia./(FAO El Salvador)
Más de 9,000 mujeres participan en jornadas de restauración de ecosistemas y mejoran el acceso al agua con sistemas de cosecha de lluvia./(FAO El Salvador)

El proyecto RECLIMA también ha impulsado la creación de espacios de diálogo y aprendizaje entre mujeres agricultoras, permitiendo la identificación de retos, el intercambio de soluciones y la construcción colectiva de estrategias de adaptación. Las autoridades presentes coincidieron en que la participación activa de las mujeres es esencial para alcanzar la sostenibilidad y resiliencia de los sistemas agroalimentarios, especialmente en zonas afectadas por sequías recurrentes y degradación ambiental.

La experiencia de Morazán refleja el impacto positivo de la colaboración entre instituciones estatales, organismos internacionales y comunidades rurales. La FAO reiteró su compromiso de seguir promoviendo la igualdad de género, la inclusión y la sostenibilidad en el sector agropecuario, reconociendo el aporte invaluable de las mujeres rurales en la construcción de un futuro más justo y resiliente para El Salvador.



corresponsal:Desde San Salvador, El Salvador

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“El estrecho Trump”: la frase del presidente de EEUU en medio de las tensiones en Ormuz

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Trump bromeó sobre “el estrecho Trump”

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, llamó este viernes por la noche “estrecho de Trump” al estrecho de Ormuz, el área controlada por Irán por donde pasa la quinta parte del crudo global y comparó esto con el cambio de nombre del golfo de México a ‘golfo de América’.

“Estamos negociando ahora (con Irán) y sería genial si pudiésemos hacer algo, pero tienen que abrirlo. Tienen que abrir el estrecho de Trump, quiero decir, de Ormuz. Discúlpenme, lo siento mucho, qué error tan terrible”, declaró el mandatario en el evento FII Priority, organizado por inversionistas saudíes en Miami.

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Trump bromeó con el cambio de nombre del estrecho al recordar que su apertura es una de sus principales exigencias tras casi un mes de guerra con Irán, que ha impedido el tránsito por el área, lo que subió esta semana el petróleo Brent hasta 112,57 dólares por barril para entregas en mayo, el precio más alto desde junio de 2022.

“Las ‘fake news’ (noticias falsas) dirán que él (Trump) lo dijo accidentalmente. No hay accidentes conmigo, no demasiados”, expresó el mandatario.

El republicano comparó el cambio de nombre del estrecho con el que él ordenó a comienzos de su segundo mandato para llamarle ‘golfo de América’ al golfo de México, algo que aparece en mapas en Estados Unidos pese a las críticas de la presidenta mexicana, Claudia Sheinbaum.

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“Tomó cerca de una hora (el cambio) y se hizo. La presidenta me llamó. Es realmente una buena persona también. Me cae muy bien. Me llamó. Ella tiene la voz más hermosas. Es una mujer muy elegante. Tiene una hermosa voz”, manifestó el mandatario.

Trump dio un ultimátum hasta el 6 de abril para que Irán desbloquee el estrecho de Ormuz (U.S. Navy via AP)

El presidente hizo estas declaraciones al insistir en que Washington está negociando con Irán, pese a que el país persa ha negado que esté teniendo conversaciones de manera oficial.

Trump anunció el jueves que, para dar espacio a las negociaciones, pospuso hasta el 6 de abril el ultimátum dado a Irán para desbloquear el estrecho de Ormuz, o de lo contrario destruirá sus centrales eléctricas.

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Momentos antes de sus declaraciones, el enviado especial de Trump en Medio Oriente, Steve Witkoff, aseguró que “hay barcos” pasando por el estrecho.

Pero la organización Marine Traffic indicó este viernes que dos cargueros chinos que se dirigían allí tuvieron que dar media vuelta por no contar con garantías de paso por parte de Irán pese a su alianza estratégica con China.

Trump expresó además su percepción sobre el impacto global de China, señalando: “Hay que tener un gran respeto por China por el trabajo que hacen. Te gusten o no, hay que respetarlos”.

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La declaración del mandatario se da al destacar la capacidad productiva del país asiático, incluso en el sector automotriz, remarcando que “producen tantos coches que incluso hay competiciones para ver quién produce menos, porque tienen muchísimos”.

Por otra parte, el mandatario adoptó un tono distinto al referirse al príncipe heredero saudí Mohammed Bin Salman, de quien afirmó: “Él no creía que iba a tener que lamerme el culo, de verdad que no. Y ahora tiene que ser amable conmigo. Más le vale ser amable conmigo”.

El presidente de EEUU, Donald Trump
El presidente de EEUU, Donald Trump

Al reflexionar sobre los sistemas económicos, Trump comparó la teoría recibida en instituciones educativas estadounidenses con el modelo chino: “Es increíble que con un sistema que, en teoría, no debería funcionar —ya sabes, vamos a la escuela, vamos a las mejores escuelas de negocios, nos va bien en esas escuelas, y leemos sobre el libre emprendimiento, y leemos sobre todas estas cosas diferentes— Pero si nos fijamos en China, en lo bien que les va, en lo mucho que producen”.

La visión de Trump resalta la paradoja que percibe sobre China frente a los principios económicos enseñados en Estados Unidos.

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Trump, insistió en que Irán está “diezmado” y que desea alcanzar un “acuerdo” que ponga fin a la guerra.

“Sobre Irán, están siendo diezmados. Estamos hablando con ellos ahora y quieren cerrar un acuerdo. Es muy simple: nuestro Ejército es el más grande, de lejos, e Irán está siendo diezmado”, declaró Trump al aterrizar en Miami (Florida), donde pasará el fin de semana.

Este sábado se cumple un mes del ataque a gran escala que Estados Unidos e Israel lanzaron el 28 de febrero contra Irán, en el que murió el líder supremo del país, el ayatolá Alí Khamenei, y que desató la actual guerra en Oriente Medio.

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Un hombre presenta sus condolencias mientras asiste a la oración por el difunto líder supremo de Irán, el ayatolá Ali Jamenei, tras su muerte en ataques israelíes y estadounidenses el sábado, en medio del conflicto entre Estados Unidos e Israel con Irán, en la residencia del embajador iraní en Yakarta, Indonesia, 5 de marzo de 2026. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan
Un hombre presenta sus condolencias mientras asiste a la oración por el difunto líder supremo de Irán, el ayatolá Ali Jamenei, tras su muerte en ataques israelíes y estadounidenses el sábado, en medio del conflicto entre Estados Unidos e Israel con Irán, en la residencia del embajador iraní en Yakarta, Indonesia, 5 de marzo de 2026. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

Washington y Teherán han iniciado conversaciones indirectas con la mediación de Pakistán, que podrían desembocar en un posible encuentro presencial en los próximos días.

Trump anunció el jueves que, para dar espacio a las negociaciones, pospuso hasta el 6 de abril el ultimátum dado a Irán para desbloquear el estrecho de Ormuz, o de lo contrario destruirá sus centrales eléctricas.

La guerra, en la que han muerto al menos trece soldados estadounidenses y que ha disparado el precio de la gasolina, es impopular en Estados Unidos, donde Trump hizo campaña a favor de mantener al país alejado de los conflictos externos, y ha acrecentado la fractura entre Washington y sus socios de la OTAN.

(Con información de EFE)

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