Dear readers, 

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News of the passing of Pope Francis early Monday led to an outpouring of grief from the Catholic faithful and beyond as tributes were paid to the 88-year-old pontiff. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was noted for his humanity and his commitment to the fight against climate change, drawing as much praise from the reformist sector of the Church as he did criticism from the more traditionalist factions over his attempts to shape the institution. A conclave will now be held to elect his successor, with the cardinals divided between a continuation of Francis' reformist zeal and a rollback of the measures he implemented.

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In other news this week, the discovery of several clandestine graves in Mexico has again shone the spotlight on what victims' families describe as the ineffectiveness — or indifference — of the authorities in the face of cartel violence, which was brought starkly to public consciousness recently with the discovery of an extermination center at a ranch in Teuchitlán.

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In the business sphere, Donald Trump's trade war continues to send shockwaves around the global markets, and countries most-affected by the Republican's tariff onslaught, among them China and Canada, are scrambling to adjust to the new world order imposed by the U.S. president. 

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We also spoke to Marcela Guerrero, who is making history as the first Latina to co-direct the Whitney Art Biennial, the oldest and most prestigious in the United States. "What I fear is that collectors and donors will start taking measures that no one asked them to and that an unnecessary conservative shift will occur," the Puerto Rican said of the current political climate. 

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We hope you enjoy this selection of articles from EL PAÍS USA edition.

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The most international conclave and one of the youngest in recent history will elect a new pontiff in less than a month

For a long time, a sector of the Church directed and financed from the US attempted to depose the Vatican leader in order to impose its own identity-based ideology

The US president’s hostility toward the diaspora raises doubts about Washington’s true interest in a transition to democracy in Venezuela

In less than a week, at least 17 clandestine cemeteries with dozens of human remains have been uncovered in Sinaloa, Baja California Sur and Colima

The president is committed to demilitarizing the Shia party-militia through dialogue, but pressure from the US and Israel leaves little room for maneuver for the armed organization

For over 10 years, the Olascoagas have controlled the lives and economies of dozens of municipalities in Guerrero and the State of Mexico. The US now accuses them of being large-scale drug traffickers

The construction of an infrastructure project that would have competed with the Ambassador Bridge — a symbol of a now-fractured bilateral relationship — highlights a new era between the United States and its northern neighbor

The capital of Guangdong province in the south of the country is a major manufacturing center; many of its factories have suspended shipments to the US