Tag Archives: Catholic Church in Venezuela

May
31
2013
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In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 5/31/13

s1.reutersmedia.net In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 5/31/13

Courtesy of: Reuters

 

This week: Venezuelan president reacts with fury to meeting between Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles, even recalling an envoy to Colombia’s peace process; two U.S. embassy officials are shot in a Venezuelan strip club, exemplifying the Venezuelan government’s inability to combat violence; the shooting prompts the State Department to describe the crime level in Venezuela as ‘critical’; and Nicolás Maduro accuses CNN of working to promote a coup. Capriles plans to ‘set off the alarms’ before international bodies due to the state of Venezuelan political institutions; Globovisión, the lone voice of dissent among Venezuelan TV stations, lowers the critical tone under new owners, firing popular talk show host and denying live coverage of opposition leaders; Maduro orders the creation of a new workers’ militia to defend the country’s ‘Bolivarian revolution’ at a time of economic problems and political turmoil; and Venezuela plans to hold local elections on December 8. The head of Venezuela’s main business group sees a dire economy in 2013 due to the decade-long weakening of domestic industry; 93.52 percent of respondents in a poll blame the government for shortages in Venezuela; Venezuelan police seize 2,500 rolls of toilet paper in overnight raid, in another sign of growing shortages; the Confederation of Industries estimates Venezuela’s domestic industries are working at only half their capacity; and Venezuela’s Catholic Church experiences the country’s scarcity of basic supplies, ‘running out of wine’ to celebrate Mass.

Venezuela furious at Colombia’s meeting with opposition leader, Reuters

Venezuela reacted with fury to Wednesday’s talks between Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles, saying it was a “bomb” in ties and recalling an envoy to Colombia’s peace process.

2 American Embassy Officials Are Shot in Venezuela Strip Club, El Universal

Two staff members of the American Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, were shot and wounded at a strip club there early Tuesday, according to officials.

State Dept. report for Caracas personnel: Crime level ‘critical’, Washington Post

Two U.S. embassy personnel were wounded by gunfire outside a Caracas night spot early Tuesday morning, according to the State Department.

Venezuela accuses CNN of seeking to foment coup, AFP

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on Monday accused US-based news network CNN en Espanol of working to promote a coup d’etat as part of a wider media war against his socialist government.

Henrique Capriles to set off the alarms before international bodies, El Universal

Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles said Wednesday from Colombia that the situation facing Venezuelan institutions is forcing him to “set off the alarms” before international organizations and report on the state of affairs in his country.

Globovision, lone voice of dissent among Venezuela TV stations, lowers volume under new owners, Associated Press

Venezuela’s only TV channel that has been openly critical of the socialist government was in turmoil Monday after a popular talk show host was fired and the opposition’s leader said he was being denied live coverage.

Venezuela to Create New Workers Militia, Associated Press

Venezuela’s president has ordered the creation of a new workers’ militia to defend the country’s “Bolivarian revolution” at a time when the government faces economic problems and political turmoil.

Venezuela to hold local election next December 8, El Universal

In a brief press conference late on Thursday at the headquarters of the National Electoral Council (CNE), its president, Tibisay Lucena, said Venezuela will hold local elections on December 8, after they were put off for various reasons.

Venezuela business group sees dire economy in 2013, Reuters

Venezuela is slipping into high inflation and economic stagnation this year due to a shortage of hard currency and a decade-long weakening of domestic industry, the head of the country’s main business group Fedecamaras said.

Venezuelans blame Government for widespread shortage, El Universal

The Venezuelan Government is accountable for shortage in the country, said 93.52% of respondents in a poll conducted by daily newspaper El Universal.

Venezuela police seize 2,500 rolls of toilet paper in overnight raid, Associated Press

Police in Venezuela say they have seized nearly 2,500 rolls of toilet paper in an overnight raid of a clandestine warehouse storing scarce goods.

Venezuelan industries running at half capacity, El Universal

Venezuela’s domestic industries are working at half their capacity. The Venezuelan Confederation of Industries (Conindustria) reported that the manufacturing sector worked at 52.82% of its installed capacity in the first quarter of the year.

Venezuela Catholic Church ‘running out of wine’, BBC News

The Catholic Church in Venezuela has said it is running out of wine to celebrate Mass because of nationwide shortages of basic supplies.

 
Jul
19
2010
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Chavez Ramps Up Conflict With Catholic Church

chavez1 223x300 Chavez Ramps Up Conflict With Catholic ChurchThis article was originally posted by About.com

The late Catholic leader of Caracas, Cardinal Rosalio Castillo Lara, was once asked if he’d give Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a blessing. “More than a blessing,” the cardinal responded. “I’d give him an exorcism.”

And so sums up the rocky battles over the years between Chavez and the church. “If the Venezuelan people fail to grasp the seriousness of the situation and fail to categorically speak out in favor of democracy and freedom, we will find ourselves subjected to a Marxist-style dictatorship,” the cardinal said shortly before his death in 2007. His prediction has sadly come true as Chavez has cracked down on free media and nationalized industry after industry.

Castillo Lara’s predecessor didn’t have it any easier. The late Cardinal Ignacio Velasco, a longtime critic of Chavez, said in 2002, “Every day we turn another cheek. I have no cheeks left because every day there is a new insult.” Upon Velasco’s death in 2003, Chavez declared he was “in hell.” At Velasco’s funeral, Chavistas threw stones and held up pictures of the cleric with devil horns.

Of the present Catholic leader, Cardinal Jorge Urosa, and other opposition clergymen, Chavez once said, “If Christ were still alive and physically present, I’m completely sure he’d take them out with whippings.”

Now, as summed up in a week’s worth of battle by El Universal, Chavez is calling the cardinal a “troglodyte” and “unworthy” for trying to “scare people about communism.” But it’s hardly Chavez vs. a cardinal: The Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference weighed on the presidential threat to prosecute Cardinal Urosa and the state of the nation in a joint statement. More:

“In its traditional call, the bishops said: ‘People want to live in democracy, (in a state) under the rule of law, with a real participation of all citizens, in a climate of justice and freedom. That is what the referendum held on December 2, 2007 decided. Therefore, the imposition of a socialist state inspired by the Cuban communist regime that has been enforced through laws and facts that ignore the popular will and the Constitution is absolutely unacceptable.’

In the document, which was read out by Monsignor Diego Padrón, Archbishop of Cumaná, the Bishops reiterated their concern about the climate of violence and corruption in the country which is especially evident ‘in insecurity, violent deaths, both in streets and prisons, and the outrageous loss of food and medicines.’

Two months ahead of parliamentary elections to be held on September 26, the bishops invited the citizens to participate in polls. They recalled that the Parliament should not only pass laws but ‘it must also be a real and effective body to monitor public administration, to ensure the appropriate use of funds and to carry out management that meets democratic-oriented goals.’

They also pleaded for a new plural Congress with ‘divergent political views.’”

A pro-government deputy called the statements a fake, and Chavez recalled Venezuela’s ambassador to the Vatican.

 
Jul
15
2010
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Chavez to “review” the ties with the Catholic Church in Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered a review of ties with the Roman Catholic Church after his policies were criticized by church leaders in recent weeks.
Chavez called local officials led by Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino “troglodytes, cavemen and fascists.” He said that the Catholic Church acts as if it has special privileges in the country, and called on the Foreign Ministry to review agreements with the church and to contact the Vatican.
“With all due respect to the Vatican and pope, you’re not an ambassador of Christ, Christ doesn’t need an ambassador,” Chavez said today on state television. “The bishops and cardinals think they are above the state — come down from that cloud, cavemen.”
The Episcopal Conference of Venezuela said in a July 12 statement that it’s “unacceptable” for the government to impose a socialist state inspired by the Cuban communist regime and criticized the “ideological and political polarization of the country.” Chavez says church officials are allied with the political opposition and want to oust him from power.
State media have run government advertisements this week criticizing Urosa, and the National Assembly condemned the church’s involvement in politics yesterday.
Chavez said that his allies will sweep the opposition in congressional elections Sept. 26 and that he has the people’s support for the creation of what he calls 21st century socialism.
“The cardinal thinks that he can put us on the defensive and put fear into the people by calling me a Marxist,” Chavez said. “I am Marxist, but before Marxist, I’m deeply Christian.”

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered a review of ties with the Roman Catholic Church after his policies were criticized by church leaders in recent weeks.

Chavez called local officials led by Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino “troglodytes, cavemen and fascists.” He said that the Catholic Church acts as if it has special privileges in the country, and called on the Foreign Ministry to review agreements with the church and to contact the Vatican.

“With all due respect to the Vatican and pope, you’re not an ambassador of Christ, Christ doesn’t need an ambassador,” Chavez said today on state television. “The bishops and cardinals think they are above the state — come down from that cloud, cavemen.”

The Episcopal Conference of Venezuela said in a July 12 statement that it’s “unacceptable” for the government to impose a socialist state inspired by the Cuban communist regime and criticized the “ideological and political polarization of the country.” Chavez says church officials are allied with the political opposition and want to oust him from power.

State media have run government advertisements this week criticizing Urosa, and the National Assembly condemned the church’s involvement in politics yesterday.

Chavez said that his allies will sweep the opposition in congressional elections Sept. 26 and that he has the people’s support for the creation of what he calls 21st century socialism.

“The cardinal thinks that he can put us on the defensive and put fear into the people by calling me a Marxist,” Chavez said. “I am Marxist, but before Marxist, I’m deeply Christian.”