Pope Francis expressed his "concern" for Venezuela during the Angelus prayer with thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square this Sunday. After discussing the day's gospel, the pontiff addressed current events, specifically mentioning the situation in Venezuela.
"I make a sincere appeal to all parties to seek the truth, act with moderation, avoid any form of violence, resolve disputes through dialogue, and consider the true well-being of the people rather than partisan interests," said Francis.
The 87-year-old pontiff's message was also shared in a brief tweet on the social media platform X.
In his message, the Pope also called for the intercession of Our Lady of Coromoto and Blessed José Gregorio Hernández, figures highly revered by Venezuelans, to help find peaceful solutions.
This marks the first public comment by Francis on the post-electoral crisis in Venezuela. Despite opposition claims of fraud, the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela confirmed Nicolás Maduro's victory in the recent elections with 96.87% of the votes counted.
CNE President Elvis Amoroso reported that voter turnout was 12,386,669 (59.97%), with a total of 12,335,884 valid votes. Of these, Maduro received 6,408,844 votes (51.95%) while Edmundo González garnered 5,326,104 votes (43.18%).
The opposition has expressed its dissatisfaction and vowed to continue global mobilization to denounce electoral fraud until democracy is restored in Venezuela. The government has responded to the protests with measures including the detention of several demonstrators. At least 17 deaths and over 2,000 detentions have been reported in the context of these protests.
President Maduro declared in a speech that those detained will face corresponding legal consequences and that justice will be served according to the law.
"We have 2,000 prisoners captured, and they are heading to (the prisons) Tocorón and Tocuyito. Maximum punishment, justice. This time there will be no pardon, this time there will be no pardon, this time there will be Tocorón," said the president in front of supporters who marched on Saturday in Caracas.
Pope Francis and the Venezuelan Electoral Crisis
Given the gravity of the situation in Venezuela, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers for better understanding.
Why did Pope Francis speak about Venezuela?
Pope Francis expressed his concern for the well-being of the Venezuelan people and called for dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes.
What did the National Electoral Council report?
The National Electoral Council confirmed Nicolás Maduro's victory with 96.87% of the votes counted, reporting a voter turnout of 59.97%.
How has the opposition reacted to the election results?
The opposition has denounced the election results as fraudulent and vowed to continue global mobilization until democracy is restored in Venezuela.
What measures has the government taken in response to the protests?
The government has detained several demonstrators and reported at least 17 deaths and over 2,000 detentions in the context of the protests.