After 10 days of the presidential elections in Venezuela, held on July 28, the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) published his third message to the country about the political and social crisis that is being experienced today as a result of the proclamation of Nicolás Maduro as president-elect and the numerous questions—national and international—about the legitimacy of the result.
“We reiterate our call to respect the sovereignty of the people expressed through the vote on July 28. Ignoring the popular will is illegal and ethically unacceptable,” the bishops expressed.
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According to Proveaa non-governmental organization that operates in Venezuela, since July 29, when spontaneous protests broke out throughout the country after the result announced by the electoral body, 24 deaths have been recorded.
“In at least nine of the murders of protesters recorded by Provea, pro-government armed civilian groups or collectivesare identified by eyewitnesses as possible perpetrators of the events,” indicated the Human Rights organization.
Regarding this reality, the Venezuelan Episcopate urged that the defense of human dignity “be at the center of the commitment to the common good and of all legal systems.” Furthermore, the Church rejected the use of violence to suppress demonstrations, as this practice is contrary to the most fundamental rights.
The CEV categorically rejected “the use of violence in public demonstrations, the presence and action alongside police forces of armed civilians as a mechanism to deter peaceful citizen protests, restrictions on freedom of expression and mobilization, arrests or arbitrary raids, the imprisonment of people, many of them minors, without due process, the use of disqualification, intimidation of the population and denunciation as methods to confront differences in political opinions.”
Likewise, the bishops expressed that the State security forces “are called to comply with and enforce the Constitution and the laws of the Republic.”
“We express our closeness, accompaniment in pain and the offer of our prayers to those who cry for the deceased and injured, to those who experience the anguish of not knowing the location of the detainees, or the constant concern of being persecuted for defending their rights. convictions and political positions,” they stated.
The Episcopate concluded this third message by highlighting that Venezuelans want to live in peace and democracy, and that the duty of the authorities is to “bring forth the truth and justice on which social coexistence is based.”
“Let us raise our prayers to God for the health and well-being of all Venezuelans,” concluded the CEV.
Andres Henriquez
I have been a writer for ACI Prensa and a correspondent for EWTN since 2023. Since then, I have covered events in the Catholic Church in Venezuela and Latin America. I have more than 5 years of experience in bilingual media. Additionally, in Venezuela I have worked with non-governmental organizations in favor of freedom and respect for human rights in the country. I have been a member of the Regnum Christi Federation since 2014.