Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Caracas (Agenzia Fides) – According to a note sent to Fides by Unión Radio, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, Archbishop of Caracas, has expressed his support for the hunger strike carried out by a group of students around the country. Students are on hunger strike for 19 days at the headquarters of the Organization of American States. Yesterday, the Minister for the Interior and Justice, Tareck El Aissami, received a document with their demands: it urges the Government to free a group of deputies, to discuss the draft law on amnesty and political reconciliation, to give medical care to a group of political prisoners, and not to persecute those who strike. “It is something commendable that we all need to reaffirm,” the Cardinal said. “They are fighting for the rights of others, as enshrined in the Constitution. I share the attitude of these young people. We hope that their voices will be heard and that there is an attitude of promotion and respect for human rights in the Country.”
Cardinal Urosa Savino has also called on the Venezuelan people to seek peace and social harmony given the wave of violence that is rolling out across the country. “We must work hard to overcome the aggression and violence. We must have a strong sense of fraternity and understanding towards each other, show respect between us and respect what is sacred, such as human life,” said Archbishop Caracas into the microphones of Radio Unión in Caracas. In this regard, he called on Government authorities to face the tough job of tackling the insecurity and violence which kills, and especially kills young people in working class areas.
