Although Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has promised that Venezuela will hold elections later in 2024, many of his critics, including Church officials, doubt that his regime will allow a free and transparent electoral process to take place and don’t expect concrete change anytime soon. At the same time, some critics of the Church’s response believe that Venezuela’s bishops should be more outspoken in challenging the Maduro regime, and that they may be hobbled by fear of a Nicaragua-style crackdown. By Eduardo Campos Lima. Full Text-> Crux

More than 2.7 million people gathered in the city of Barquisimeto in Lara state, Venezuela, on Sunday, Jan. 14, to accompany the image of the Divine Shepherdess Virgin in a procession, reported state governor Adolfo Pereira in post on X.Pereira commented that there was a very positive atmosphere at the gathering, “where peace, calm, and the religiosity of the people reigned.”According to Catholic.net, the devotion traces back to 1703 in Seville, Spain, when a Capuchin friar saw the Virgin Mary dressed as a shepherdess holding a shepherd’s crook. She was surrounded by some sheep, but one that had strayed was pursued by a wolf, which the Archangel Michael dispatched with an arrow. Full Text -> NCRegister

Venezuela is a country of Christian tradition. The majority of its population is Catholic, but as in the rest of Latin America there has been a significant increase in other Christian denominations.
Protestant churches are becoming more important and this has started to show in politics. The greatest example has been Brazil, with the support of these churches for President Bolsonaro.
In Venezuela, these churches have been appearing in electoral politics, without much success. However, Chavismo has begun to see in these groups an opportunity to attract new sympathizers.
As is well known, relations between the Chavista governments and the Catholic Church have been stormy. The local curia opposes the government and criticizes it in particular for the violation of human rights. The Catholic leadership that once supported Chavismo has now joined its detractors.
In fact, the Venezuelan government of President Nicolás Maduro has faced criticism for its use of religion as a political tool to secure votes and suppress human rights. Despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, the government has been accused of funneling money into evangelical churches, while cracking down on NGOs and activists.
Critics argue that the government is exploiting the evangelical community, which is largely made up of poor people, for political gain. The close relationship between religion and the State has also led to the appointment of fundamentalist religious leaders to high government positions, where they have worked against the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community.
Questions have been raised about the government’s approach to religion, such as how a socialist party can have a department dedicated to religious affairs. While the government has defended its actions as a way to promote unity and peace, others argue that it is a clear violation of the separation of church and state.
But as material aid to these churches has expanded, many organizations (NGOs) working to promote human rights and equality have faced intense scrutiny and have even been shut down by the government. This has limited the ability of these other groups to operate and defend the rights of marginalized communities.
The actions of the Madurista government have been criticized both nationally and internationally. In particular, the use of a policy to promote Protestant religious sectors for electoral political purposes.
The use of religion as a political tool by the government has had negative consequences for human rights and democracy in Venezuela. It is essential that the government take steps to ensure that all citizens are treated fairly and that the rights of minority groups are protected, regardless of their religious beliefs or other differences such as race, culture, etc. The international community must continue to press the government to promote secularism and respect for human rights, and to hold it accountable for its actions.

Bishop Rolando Alvarez, from the northern Nicaraguan Diocese of Matagalpa, had criticised the government’s closing of five Catholic radio stations, and then the police moved in. They stopped him and six Catholic priests from leaving their residence and going to the nearby Cathedral to celebrate Mass. Police officers have set up barriers, preventing people from freely coming or going. Bishop Alvarez and 12 other people have been stuck in his residence since Thursday. By James Blears. Full Text -> VaticanNews

Traducción de cortesía -> El obispo Rolando Álvarez, de la diócesis de Matagalpa, en el norte de Nicaragua, había criticado el cierre de cinco estaciones de radio católicas por parte del gobierno, y luego la policía intervino. Le impidieron a él y a seis sacerdotes católicos salir de su residencia e ir a la catedral cercana a celebrar la misa. Los agentes de policía han levantado barreras, impidiendo que la gente entre o salga libremente. Monseñor Álvarez y otras 12 personas están encerradas en su residencia desde el jueves

For 27 years, the Adorer Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament and of Charity in Cúcuta, Colombia, have helped some 4,000 women escape human-trafficking networks at the city’s three border crossings to Venezuela. The Adorer Sisters were founded in the mid-19th century by the Spanish St. María Micaela to help women leave prostitution. The home they run in Cúcuta was established 27 years ago by Sister María Soledad Arias, and it takes in women and adolescents who are victims of sex trafficking. Full Text -> CNA

Traducción de cortesía -> Durante 27 años, las Siervas Adoratrices del Santísimo Sacramento y de la Caridad en Cúcuta, Colombia, han ayudado a unas 4.000 mujeres a escapar de las redes de trata de personas en los tres cruces fronterizos de la ciudad con Venezuela. Las Hermanas Adoratrices fueron fundadas a mediados del siglo XIX por la española Santa María Micaela para ayudar a las mujeres a dejar la prostitución. El hogar que administran en Cúcuta fue fundado hace 27 años por la Hermana María Soledad Arias y acoge a mujeres y adolescentes víctimas del tráfico sexual.

“Introduction to the Venezuelan reality”: this is the name of the course conceived by the Missionary Training Center of the Pontifical Mission Societies of Venezuela. This is an unprecedented formative space, aimed at pastoral agents, missionaries, priests, religious and lay people who have arrived in the country in the last six months and/or are in the process of missionary insertion. Full Text -> Agenzia Fides

Traducción de cortesía -> “Introducción a la realidad venezolana”: así se llama el curso concebido por el Centro de Formación Misionera de las Obras Misionales Pontificias de Venezuela. Se trata de un espacio formativo inédito, dirigido a agentes de pastoral, misioneros, sacerdotes, religiosos y laicos llegados al país en los últimos seis meses y/o en proceso de inserción misionera.

Traducción al español -> Google Translación

The program, which is coordinated with civic institutions including the Catholic Church, offers Brazilian residency and hosts the refugees and migrants in shelters for a limited time, until they are sent to other regions in the country to find work and start a new life. By Eduardo Campos Lima. Full Text -> America: TheJesuitReview

The St. Paul native, who serves as pastor of the mission parish of Jesucristo Resucitado, has been in Ciudad Guayana for more than 20 years, the longest tenure of any archdiocesan priest who’s had the assignment. During that time, he’s forged strong relationships between Minnesotans and the Venezuelan people he serves, whether through organizing intercultural trips between the two locales, or by actively inviting archdiocesan laypeople to support the many initiatives undertaken at the mission. By Jonathan Liedl. Full Text -> The Catholic Spirit

The Vatican and the Roman Catholic church have been influential political players in the current Venezuelan humanitarian and political crisis. Pope Francis commands an active constituency inside Venezuela larger than that of any local political faction. As the country’s most practiced religion, millions of Venezuelan Catholics look to the church for spiritual and political guidance as they seek to find a way out of the crisis. In light of recent developments, the Vatican should reevaluate its current position and consider renewing its diplomatic efforts. However, it must deploy its influence carefully, learning from its track record and maintaining the delicate balance between moral authority and political realism. By Antonio de la Cruz. Full Text-> CSIS