Writing for the
Miami Herald, the unofficial 'paper of record' for Latin America, Andres Oppenheimer
takes the Pope to task for not supporting Venezuela's Conference of Bishops who have issued a demand for Maduro to leave. Here's what the bishops wrote:
Facing an illegitimate and failed government, Venezuela craves for a change. That change requires the departure of who holds power in an illegitimate way, and the election as soon as possible of a new president.
In order for (the election) to be truly free and reflect the people’s sovereign will, it requires some essential conditions, such as a new and impartial National Electoral Council, an updated electoral registry and the supervision of international organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the European Union.
What did the Pope add to this? Oppenheimer reports:
Instead of echoing their demand that Maduro leave office, Pope Francis made an incredibly bland statement in his July 14 homily asking God to “inspire and illuminate both sides” so that they can “reach an agreement” to solve the Venezuelan crisis.
It isn't difficult to spot Pope Francis' pro-Maduro bias, here on open display. Given Francis' long history as a supporter of leftist liberation theology in Latin America, sadly one would expect little else from him. He wasn't a great choice to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.
