Global Leaders Unite: 30 Former Presidents Urge Pope Francis to Broker Peace in Venezuela’s Turbulent Crisis
Former Ibero-American Heads of State Urge Pope Francis to Intervene in Venezuela
A group of 30 former Ibero-American heads of state have sent a letter to Pope Francis, requesting that he demand the Venezuelan Government accept the result of the presidential elections held on July 28 and facilitate a “transition without violence and in peace.”
The letter, presented by the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (Idea), was made public on August 4. However, the Holy See has yet to respond.
The former leaders pointed to the “clear and resounding victory” of opponent Edmundo González Urrutia, who now lives in exile in Spain. They also defended him as “the president-elect with the most legitimacy in the region,” under the results set out in the July 28 scrutiny records.
The IDEA group has also denied that Maduro has appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) to “block any review of the judgment that validated his re-election.” The TSJ rejected the request for review, consolidating the official victory.
The letter refers to a previous message from Pope Francis to Venezuelans, where the pontiff encouraged them to maintain dialogue and overcome partisanship. However, the former leaders stress that, far from being divided, the population “went in solidarity to the polls” and remained peaceful, responding to international calls to follow the electoral path.
The IDEA group condemned the repression by the Maduro regime, highlighting the balance of “thousands of people who are detained, injured, tortured, raped and executed,” as well as terrorizing the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela.
Signatories to the letter include former presidents Mario Abdo (Paraguay), Oscar Arias (Costa Rica), José María Aznar (Spain), Felipe Calderon (Mexico), Ivan Duque (Colombia), Vicente Fox (Mexico), Mauricio Macri (Argentina), Carlos Mesa (Bolivia), and Alvaro Uribe (Colombia), among others.
Hispanic American leaders urged Pope Francis to act with “pastoral and prophetic action” so that the Venezuelan Government recognizes the electoral result and promotes a peaceful transition.