The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) today asked the National Electoral Council (CNE) to release the results of the polling stations for the July presidential elections, whose victory, contested by the opposition, was attributed to Nicolás Maduro.
"The words of the Lord Jesus Christ 'the truth will set you free' have resonated insistently in our minds and hearts. Therefore, we wish to reiterate our appeal to the CNE to publish in detail the results of the electoral process of 28 July, which demonstrated the Venezuelan people's desire for change, in accordance with the Constitution and the law", explains the CEV.
In the statement, the Venezuelan bishops stress that "the presentation of the results is an essential step to preserve citizens' confidence in voting and to recover the true meaning of politics".
"Only in this way can we move forward together towards the construction of a democratic and peaceful Venezuela", they stress.
The bishops also say that they categorically condemn "the repression of demonstrations, arbitrary arrests and human rights violations" that occurred in the country after the elections, and demand "the release of those detained, including minors".
"As we contemplate the difficult situation that our country is going through, we feel challenged by the word of God, which invites us to listen to the cry of the people and to console them. We renew our commitment to all our brothers and sisters who are suffering, to continue to accompany them through prayer, hospitality, companionship, exchange and the service that we provide through the different ecclesial bodies", the document reads.
Furthermore, the CEV reaffirms its commitment to stand by the side of our brothers and sisters who are suffering in these difficult times and expresses the Church's willingness to promote initiatives that contribute to the peaceful resolution of differences.
The document begins by explaining that the 45th Extraordinary Plenary Assembly of the CEV was held between 15 and 17 October "to pray and reflect on the social, political and ecclesial reality of the country".
The bishops invite Venezuelans "to rekindle hope" and also express their support for several prayer initiatives that are being promoted by various bodies, to pray for peace and well-being in Venezuela.
Venezuela, a country with a significant community of Portuguese and Portuguese descendants, held presidential elections on 28 July, after which the National Electoral Council (CNE) attributed the victory to Nicolás Maduro with just over 51% of the votes, while the opposition claims that its candidate, former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, obtained almost 70% of the votes.
The Venezuelan opposition and several countries in the international community have denounced electoral fraud and demanded that the voting records be presented for independent verification, which the CNE says is impossible due to a "cyberattack" it allegedly suffered.
The election results were contested in the streets, with demonstrations repressed by security forces, resulting in more than two thousand arrests and more than two dozen fatalities.
According to the NGO Penal Forum (FP), Venezuela has 1,916 citizens imprisoned for political reasons, of which 240 are women and 70 are adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17.
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