Venezuela: Vatican ready to offer mediation when parties are willing

April 27, 2017

The Vatican remains willing to act as mediator in Venezuela’s political crisis, “if and when there are real conditions for dialogue,” Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino of Caracas has announced.

Cardinal Urosa said that Pope Francis has expressed concern about the deteriorating conditions and the spread of violence in Venezuela, and wants to help find a peaceful solution to the country’s political impasse. But the Pontiff does not want to “put on a political show,” he said.

The Vatican dropped its effort to mediate talks between the government and opposition leaders when the government failed to fulfill the terms that had been set as the conditions for those talks. Cardinal Urosa revealed that he has been in touch with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who reiterated the willingness of the Vatican to become involved in genuine negotiations.

 

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Further information:

• The Vatican is ready to help, only “when the conditions exist for effective and genuine dialogue to resolve the difficulties” (Fides)