Chavez supporters vandalize churches ahead of crucial Venezuela elections
November 21, 2008
As Venezuelans go to the polls on Sunday to cast their ballots in 28 gubernatorial and 338 mayoral races, pro-Chavez forces are stepping up their campaign of intimidation against the Church in the western state of Barinas. After Bishop Ramon Antonio Linares Sandoval spoke against an attempted socialist takeover of his seminary, pro-Chavez vandals wrote ‘out with the bishop,’ ‘homeland, socialism or death,’ and other graffiti on the majority of area churches. An op-ed in today’s Christian Science Monitor, written by a Fulbright Scholar in Venezuela, paints a picture of a nation whose state takeover of industries and cult of personality surrounding a leader are reminiscent of Italy under Mussolini.
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Further information:
- Pro-Chavez Vandals Try Intimidation on Church; Nation Prepares to Vote on Governors and Mayors (Zenit)
- Venezuela's fork in the road: socialism or capitalism? (Christian Science Monitor)
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