Pope Leo expresses “deep concern" for Venezuela, calls for its independence to be protected.
Pope Leo called for the “sovereignty” of Venezuela to be guaranteed, saying he’s following developments in the Latin American country with “deep concern.”
The first US-born pope was speaking on Sunday in his first remarks since the Trump administration’s incursion into Venezuela, which saw the capture of the country’s leader.
Leo, speaking at the Sunday Angelus, said, “the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration” while calling for a journey of “justice and peace guaranteeing the sovereignty of the country, ensuring the rule of law written in the Constitution and respecting human and civil rights of all and working together to build a peaceful future of collaboration, stability and harmony.”
The pope also appealed for “the poorest who suffer because of the difficult economic situation” in the country whose economy is 28% of what it was in 2013, according to the IMF.
In early December, Leo, warned against a US military incursion in Venezuela. Leo, who worked in Peru for more than 20 years, worked to help refugees and migrants fleeing Venezuela while he was Bishop of Chiclayo, in northern Peru.
Last October, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said he had written to the Pope asking him to help maintain peace in the South American country.
The Church in Venezuela has been seeking to resolve tensions through peaceful means and dialogue and has an influential presence in the Vatican. One of the most powerful people within the Holy See is Venezuelan Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See and a key diplomatic figure, while Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See Secretary State, served as a diplomat in Venezuela for several years.
