Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Caracas (Agenzia Fides) – " The National Assembly is still blocked. I am deeply concerned about the state of emergency in our country regarding poor economic growth which has persisted for the past twelve months. This situation is not normal. Neither are other measures such as the annulment of the revocatory referendum and postponement of elections for governors. This creates a situation of dictatorship" said Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, Archbishop of Caracas, shortly after the Sunday Angelus address during which Pope Francis spoke of the serious situation in those countries in these words: "I follow closely the events in Venezuela and Paraguay. I pray for these peoples so dear to me and I encourage them to persevere without rest, avoiding any form of violence, to reach political solutions ".
According to reports sent to Fides, the Catholic Church in Venezuela continues to denounce every form of injustice. Cardinal Baltazar Porras, Archbishop of Merida, declared yesterday: "corrections to sentences are simply cosmetic changes which do not resolve the situation, since they fail to recognise the National Assembly as an autonomous body thus confusing the people. We continue to uphold valid the request made by Cardinal Parolin, last year, to restore the regular function of Parliament. This request is demanded by many countries ".
Cardinal Porras underlined that the negation of the sovereignty of the people and of denial pf participation to any group dissenting from the central power, is deplorable from the ethical point of view. "If this continues– he said -, it could cause chaos and disorder and lead to unnecessary bloodshed. If parliament is to be accused, it must be the people who decide, however at the moment, the real needs of the people are food and medicine".
According to latest reports, the Parliament of Venezuela, controlled since 2015 by the Opposition, has declared insufficient the annulment by the Supreme Court (TSJ) of sentences regarding the divestiture of authority of the National Assembly and abolition of the parliamentary immunity of its members (see Fides 31/03/2017; 01/04/2017. In the meantime the country’s humanitarian situation worsens and social tension rises. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 03/04/2017)
