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News > Latin America

Maduro Welcomes Pope Francis Call for Dialogue in Venezuela

  • Maduro supports the call for dialogue made by the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

    Maduro supports the call for dialogue made by the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis. | Photo: Reuters

Published 1 May 2017
Opinion

Several Latin American countries support the dialogue, while the opposition in Venezuela continues to reject talks and has called for more protests.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro thanked Pope Francis for his message supporting dialogue and peace in Venezuela to resolve the political crisis, a call that also received support from other countries in the region.

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"Thanks to Pope Francisco, who asked for blessings for Venezuela," said the president during his program "Sundays with Maduro," broadcasted by Venezolana de Television.

The Vatican is part of the group of mediators of the dialogue process launched last year between the government and opposition sectors, which also includes former presidents of the region, including Panama's Martin Torrijos, the Dominican Republic's Leonel Fernandez, and Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain.

"If I say dialogue, they run in terror, they don't want dialogue, they attacked Pope Francisco yesterday, I respect the expressions of Pope Francis," said Maduro.

Maduro said dialogue is the only way to overcome the differences underlying the country's tense political situation, but added that Chavistas are ready to defeat the opposition in the next elections, following the legacy of former President Hugo Chavez.

The governments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay have also expressed support for Pope Francis' call for all group to avoid further violence in Venezuela and to look for "negotiated solutions."

"As has been pointed out by the supreme pontiff, it is essential to have 'very clear conditions' for a negotiated solution to the political, economic and humanitarian crisis in that brother country," said the Colombian Foreign Ministry in a statement.

However, while the government and several neighboring countries have backed the call to resume the stalled talks, part of the opposition in Venezuela criticized Pope Francis after the Catholic leader called on them to resume dialogue with the government, indicating a division among their ranks.

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"It's not true, (Francis) speaks as if some want the dialogue and some don't," said Henrique Capriles during a march during the weekend in Caracas.

The pope addressed the ongoing political turmoil in Venezuela last week remarking that sectors of the country’s right-wing opposition oppose dialogue with the socialist government.

“Part of the opposition does not want this,” Francis said, Ciudad CCS reported. The religious leader also said the opposition is “divided” and “seems to have conflicts that are becoming more acute.”

Pope Francis, who claimed he may mediate talks between the government and the opposition again and said he’s interested in “doing everything that can be done for Venezuela."

Ongoing protests by the Venezuelan opposition in the capital of Caracas have spilled over into deadly violence against people and the destruction of property. Fresh marches for and against the government are set to fill the streets of the capital again Monday for International Workers' Day.

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