.- The
Bishops’ Conference of Venezuela has rejected statements by the
country’s Attorney General, Isaias Rodriguez, who said on Tuesday that
the murder of Father Jorge Pinango was a crime of passion and not a
result of the general lack of security which currently plagues the
country.
The president of
the Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Ubaldo Santana, read a statement
warning that Rodriguez was depriving the case of due process and that
his statements disparaged the slain priest, criminalized him and turned
him into “an accomplice in his own death.”
“The
investigations must respect the dignity of the person, be in keeping
with the law, and once those responsible have been identified, proceed
to the punishment of the guilty,” he said.
Bishop Santana
criticized the “inhumane and indecent” way in which the state media has
covered the story. He reiterated that investigations are just
beginning and that there should not be a rush to judgment. “This
monstrous crime has troubled the nation and highlights once again the
grave lack of security and the moral decay of the country.”
The Vice
President of the Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Roberto Luckert,
criticized statements by Congressman Carlos Escarra, who said during a
television interview that Father Pinango’s murder had to do with his
private life. “There has been a murder and the crime must be
investigated. We don’t need to be disparaging the poor priest” in
front of his family, the archbishop said.
Vicente Alamo,
one of the investigators handling the case, announced this week that
one person who corresponds to descriptions of the attacker has been
detained. “At this time I have been informed that we are
detaining someone who corresponds to the characteristics and to other
information we have about the individual who we believe was responsible
for the killing of the Undersecretary of the Bishops’ Conference of
Venezuela,” he said.
Alamo also said
the van that was being used by Father Pinango was found in the parking
garage of an office building in Chacao. He said it was left in
the garage at 5:50am on Sunday and that witnesses said it was following
a Chevrolet Aveo. At 7:00am two individuals approached the
vehicle and attempted to remove it but were unsuccessful.
Venezuelan bishops demand serious investigation into assassination of priest
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