By James Blears

Retired General Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda, was Minister of Defense for the entire Administration of President Enrique Pena Nieto from 2012- 2018.  He was arrested on a warrant from the Drugs Enforcement Agency-the DEA, accused of facilitating tons of shipments of heroin, cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana into the United States, even organizing ships to do this.  Mexicos Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard was told of this by Christopher Landau, whos the US Ambassador in Mexico.

Cienfuegos aged 72, whos retired from active service, is nicknamed: "The Godfather." He was presented with an award from the Pentagon two years ago, before his treachery was discovered and now revealed.  Its alleged he aided and abetted a cartel known as H2, which is an offshoot of the Beltran Levya drug cartel, protecting it and advising it of US operations directed against it. Hes also accused of introducing cartel leaders to other corrupt officials. He now faces four charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.  Former President Pena Nieto denies any knowledge or involvement in  these activities. The Generals communications were intercepted by US Intelligence.  Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, says investigations are underway into possible links to former Security Minister Genero Garcia Luna, who served the 2006-2012 Administration of President Felipe Calderon, as Security Minister. Garcia Luna was arrested last year in Texas, and is on trial in New York accused of accepting millions in bribes from the Sinaloa drug cartel, once led by Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman, who now serving a life sentence in a US maximum security prison. He denies all the charges against him. Calderon denies any knowledge of Garcia Luna`s alleged legion of crimes.

President Lopez Obarador is publically supporting his current Minister of Defense, who was not proposed or nominated by General Cienfuegos.  

It`s an appalling blow to Mexico and the United States, that someone who was supposed to be leading the war against drugs, was allegedly involved in supporting the narcos. The ultimate betrayal.

By Stefan J. Bos

Grieving relatives and residents were laying flowers Saturday at the College du Bois d’Aulne secondary school in the Paris suburb of Conflans Sainte-Honorine.

They mourn the loss of 47-year-old Samuel Paty, the much-loved history and geography teacher who was beheaded nearby. Police shot dead the suspect, who was identified as an 18-year-old of Chechen origin. 

The attacker was reportedly furious that teacher Paty had shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that Muslims consider blasphemous. 

The teacher used the caricatures as part of a lesson on freedom of expression. They were first published five years by French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, prompting Islamic terrorists to attack its offices. 

Muslims upset 

After Friday’s beheading of the teacher, French President Emmanuel Macron rushed to the scene to express his outrage about what he views as Islamist terrorism. “One of our citizens was murdered today because he taught students about freedom of expression. The liberty to believe and not to believe,” Macron said. 

“Our compatriot was flagrantly attacked. He was a victim of an Islamist terrorist attack.” 

The teacher had reportedly upset Muslims at the school. Authorities said they detained some nine people, including parents of a child, on suspicion of involvement in Friday’s attack.  

The violence was adding to tensions in France, where people face several terror attacks in recent years, killing hundreds. The French also cope with new restrictions to halt the coronavirus pandemic. 

By Vatican News staff writer

On Tuesday, 20 October, Pope Francis will participate in an international Prayer for Peace initiative entitled “No One Is Saved Alone – Peace and Fraternity”.

Promoted by the Rome-based Community of Saint Egidio, the Prayer meeting is an ecumenical event and will see the participation of representatives of many Christian denominations in the Basilica of Saint Mary in Aracoeli on Rome’s Capitoline Hill.

According to a statement released by the Vatican Press Office, the Prayer meeting will be followed by an interreligious ceremony in Michelangelo’s Square on the Capitoline Hill in the presence of representatives of the world’s great religions and other world leaders.

In the spirit of Assisi

The Community of Saint Egidio, that is preparing to host its 34th meeting inspired by the historic interreligious encounter wanted by St. John Paul II in 1986, said it has promoted this International Meeting of Prayer for Peace in the spirit of Assisi and Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli tutti. 

The event, which will take place in respect of the anti-covid norms will be live-streamed in 8 languages through the Community’s various web and social media channels. 

Quoting from Pope Francis’ third encyclical letter, Fratelli tutti, a Saint Egidio communiqué says “The different religions, based on their respect for each human person as a creature called to be a child of God, contribute significantly to building fraternity and defending justice in society”.

“In a difficult moment in history”, the communiqué continues, “because of the pandemic but also because of old and new wars in progress – such as the one that has lasted for ten years in Syria or the current one in Nagorno-Karabakh, a solemn moment of reflection, prayer and encounter will be offered to the world from the heart of Europe: a message of hope for the future in the name of the greatest good, which is that of Peace”.

Everyone is invited to participate in the online event.

A minute of silence for the victims of war and the pandemic

So, on Tuesday afternoon the religious leaders will pray separately in venues across the city: Pope Francis the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, and other Orthodox and Protestant representatives in the Basilica of Saint Mary in Aracoeli; Jews in the Synagogue of Rome; Muslims, Buddhists and representatives of other Eastern religions in the Capitoline Museums.

The interreligious ceremony in the Capitoline foresees the participation of many international names such as Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and President Sergio Mattarella of Italy. A minute of silence in memory of the victims of the pandemic and all wars will conclude the event.

Mwenya Mukuka – Lusaka, Zambia

Speaking Friday, this week, when he made a presentation at the Second National Food and Seed Festival in Lusaka, Caritas Zambia Executive Director, Eugene Kabilika said just as multinational companies have patented seeds and plants, the government of the Republic of Zambia through the relevant ministry should also patent local foods, especially those that are now being produced at a commercial level.

Mr Kabilika cited Chikanda and Chibwantu – a popular local food and drink, as some of the products that should be hastily patented. He said the royalties realised could help improve the lives of local people.

Protect the livelihoods of communities through agroecology

Meanwhile, Caritas Zambia says the global shocks the world is experiencing today highlights the urgent need to support agroecology.

Agroecology is a people-centric system of sustainable agriculture and social justice movements driven by local farmers and other food producers to retain power over their local food systems, sadi Kabilika. In so doing, locals protect livelihoods, communities and defend the right to nutritious and diverse food.

The Caritas Zambia Executive Director told the Second National Food and Seed Festival that climate change, economic downturns and widespread disease were a threat to African food systems.

“Climate change, economic downturn and widespread disease threaten African food systems. However, agroecology enables food producers to develop sustainable farms, bustling local markets, and small innovative enterprises that bring security, resilience, and prosperity to African livelihoods in the face of global or regional shocks,” said Mr Kabilika.

Food sovereignty is key to food security

He added that agroecology is the better economic and ecological alternative to the failing industrial, agricultural system.

“Food sovereignty is the solution to food security. Agroecological systems can sustainably feed more Zambians than industrial agriculture by keeping power over [local people’s] seeds, markets, diets and profits in the hands of the local community,” he said.

Need to safeguard public health

Mr Kabilika further said that agroecology protects and safeguards public health by providing nutritious foods to communities and rejecting toxic pesticides and fertilisers that poison farmers, agricultural workers and consumers. 

Mr Kabilika further noted that agroecology protects biodiversity on farm eco-systems and localises sustainable food systems. At the same time, agroecology, defends Africa and the world from future outbreaks and pandemics spurred by human exploitation of forests, industrial animal agriculture and wildlife trafficking.