Catholics pray for peace in Colombia and Venezuela

The Catholic Church in Colombia and Venezuela is committed to improving relations between the two countries according to report sent to Fides by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Colombia.

The presidents of the Colombian Bishops' Conference CEC and the Bishops' Conference of Venezuela CEV, are confident that relations between the two countries can improve following recent declarations made by president Hugo Chávez.

The president of CEC, Bishop Rubén Salazar Gomez, said he hoped “relations of peace and brotherhood between the two countries would soon be re-established” and he urged those involved to consider the suffering of people affected by Venezuela's decision to cut diplomatic relations between the countries.

The president of the Colombian Bishops said it was necessary to work to overcome “a climate of mutual mistrust” between the respective governments, recalling that the newly elected president Juan Manuel Santos had underlined the enormous importance of having good relations with neighbour countries.

For his part, the president of the CEV, Bishop Ubaldo Santana Sequera, agreed that “the situation is concerning”, and said he hoped the Bishops of Colombia and Venezuela, “in an exemplary spirit of brotherhood would continue to work together.”

The decision made by the Venezuelan executive to sever diplomatic ties with Colombia was motivated by accusations made on 21 July by Colombian ambassador to the Organisation of American States (OAS), Luis Alfonso Hoyos, regarding the alleged presence of Colombian guerrillas in Venezuela. According to the authorities in Caracas the accusations were an attempt to discredit the government of Hugo Chávez Frías.