Caracas, Venezuela, Jan 29, 2019 / 00:43 am
The Justice and Peace Commission of the Venezuelan Bishops' Conference is calling for an end to violence surrounding protests after Nicolas Maduro claimed to have won a second presidential term in a contested election.
A communique from the commission draws from words spoken by St. Oscar Romero in its title: "In the name of God and in the name of this suffering people, whose lamentations reach up to heaven…stop the repression."
"Since January 22 the repression and violence have been escalated by State security forces and armed bands against people civically protesting," the document says. "We deeply deplore so much death, pain and suffering of our people. The toll of injured, dead, arbitrarily detained, tortured and persecuted throughout the land violates the dignity and human rights of the citizens. It is a clamor that cries out: Stop the repression."
At least 26 people have died in the massive protests taking place around the country in the last week, the Venezuelan Observatory on Conflict reported, based on information gathered from morgues, hospitals and courts.