Lima, Peru, Mar 15, 2018 / 10:07 am
The Peruvian Bishops' Conference called on the people of the country to act with Christian solidarity toward Venezuelan migrants fleeing hardship in their homeland.
In a statement issued March 9, the Peruvian bishops meeting in a plenary assembly expressed their "fraternity with the Venezuelan people" and recalled that "in decades past thousands of our compatriots had to emigrate to Venezuela."
"Current circumstances require us to act with Christian solidarity toward our brothers from that country, who for various reasons have been forced to leave their homeland and are with us today. May Peru be a second home for them where they feel very welcome and safe," the bishops stated.
Venezuela is in the midst of an acute political and economic crisis under President Nicolas Maduro, resulting in severe shortages of food and medicine, which is increasing emigration.