"I'm afraid of a bloodbath"

From the silence of the first days to two consecutive statements. And this time, the pope went further than his words of the weekend. Francisco said he feared "the bloodbath" in Venezuela and "fear" the violence that could be triggered by the political crisis in this country, did not recognize Juan Guaidó as president and said that it would be a "recklessness" pastoral".

A new week of tension begins in Venezuela. The opposition has called for two marches for the coming days: the first Wednesday, to once again call on the armed forces to stop supporting the Chavez regime. The second Saturday, when the deadline that left Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Portugal to Maduro to call elections has expired. If he does not, they will recognize Guaidó as interim president.

On Sunday, at the end of his five-day trip to Panama, the pope spoke about the situation in Venezuela without much definition: he asked "that a just and peaceful solution be sought to overcome the crisis, respecting the rights of human beings and desiring exclusively the good of all.

Yesterday, he was confronted with journalists' questions aboard the plane that was taking him from Panama to Rome.

"What's scary to me? Bloodshed," he said. According to human rights organizations, more than 30 people have died in the last ten days during the protests.

When asked whether the Vatican – which sent a representative when Maduro took office – would support Juan Guaidó as president of Venezuela, the pope said he was not saying "what to do, because that would be a pastoral imprudence on my part ". It would hurt. "

"I have to be balanced, I do not like the word balanced, I have to be a pastor, and if they need help, by mutual agreement, they ask for it," he said. the possibility of a mediation. Two years ago, the Vatican tried unsuccessfully to come up with a roadmap to get out of the crisis through Vatican number two, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was also a nuncio in that country during the Chavez years. The opposition denounced that Maduro had violated all that had been agreed.