Demand for disarming of paramilitaries

The Venezuelan Government must deal with the deadly paramilitary groups interfering with peaceful demonstrations in the country, Cardinal Jorge Urosa has demanded.

Speaking last week, the cardinal said that the police should have made arrests, but he has seen no sign of action. “I don’t understand why they’re being allowed to act freely,” he said and pointed out that they appear not to be part of the security forces of the country.  “These people must be arrested and disarmed,” he insisted.

A series of anti-government protests have been taking place across Venezuela over the last three weeks, with 16 people killed. The protesters, many of whom are students, are calling for the resignation of Nicolás Maduro, who inherited the presidency when Hugo Chávez died last year. They are angered by the country’s high crime rate and severe economic problems.

Cardinal Urosa emphasised that the Government should accept the blame for the unrest. “The great share of responsibility lies with those in power,” he said. “It is essential that the Government pays attention to the legitimate complaints being made.”

The Venezuelan bishops’ conference said this week that the Church was on standby to mediate if there were formal dialogue between the two sides. On Wednesday, Mr Maduro called for peace talks.

At least 130 people have been injured during the protests, one of whom was Fr José Palmar, a parish priest who was beaten while he attended a demonstration in the city of Maracaibo on Wednesday. The bishops’ conference said that priests should follow their political conscience “in the framework of their faith” and that the mission of priests was based on “unity with the people”.

Last week a prominent opposition leader, Leopoldo López, was arrested on charges of inciting violence. His wife, Lilian Tintori, said she took a little statue of Venezuela’s Our Lady of Coromoto to her husband when she visited him in prison at the weekend.