Venezuelan bishops to meet in response to crisis gripping the country

Caracas, Venezuela, Feb 11, 2008 / 19:19 pm

The bishops of Venezuela will meet this week to discuss the deteriorating situation in their country, which is enduring a food supply crisis resulting from a court ruling against the state oil company PDVSA.

Besides the food shortage, the bishops will also address the increase in violence and the deterioration in the relations with Colombia during an extraordinary meeting of their conference, Bishop Ubaldo Santana, the president of the conference, said.

The food supply has become an imminent problem in Venezuela after ExxonMobile won an international court ordered the freezing of $12 billion in assets of PDVSA—the company that provides 90 cents of every dollar that enters the country.

“This decision is very troublesome, because it could affect international relations, the food supply in our country, and therefore the lives of our people in an area as crucial as food,” Bishop Santana said. 

Referring to the relations between Venezuela and Colombia, the bishop said that it is necessary that the two countries return to the path of peace, stressing that Venezuelans have always been concerned about what happens in their neighboring country.  He praised the position taken by the bishops of Colombia to help end the climate of violence that has reigned in the country for fifty years and to call for the re-establishing of formal relations between our countries.”

“I applaud the release of the Colombian hostages, it is something very good, and there is nobody who doesn’t applaud these efforts, but it would be much more beneficial if our government would retain close ties to the Colombian government,” Bishop Santana stressed.  “We are praying and we are willing to do our part as pastors to foster a climate of conversation and understanding between the two governments,” he added.

The bishop also mentioned that the climate of violence that has swept the country will also be addressed during the meeting.