Baltazar Porras: "Mediation with the Pope will not be possible"

Nail The mediation of Pope Francisco in Venezuela "is impracticable" because this moment of intervention is a simple call from the government to which he calls "when he is tight, with water in his neck" and because the Holy See has already intervened there are two years and that the regime's attitude was not to advance agreements It was "a mockery, you really have to call it that"said the highest authority of the Venezuelan Church, Cardinal Baltazar Porras.

At the press conference on the return flight of his visit to the United Arab Emirates, the pontiff reiterated his willingness to play the role of mediator in the Venezuelan crisis, as he had done when he returned from Panama. And he confirmed that a letter with an order to that effect from Nicolás Maduro had arrived at the Holy See. But he specified that intervening requires the order of the two parties.

"I think, given the circumstances, no (the papal mediation is viable), because it's actually a call to converse with a blank page, but to without prior agenda, which is what has been permanently (from the government), "said Porras in statements to the show La Mirada Despierta, directed by Nelson Castro of Continental Radio.

He recalled that in the past "the Vatican was summoned and the Pope, of good will, wanted to send someone and that everything was nothing, it was a mockery, we must have So call ". At the same time, he stressed that at that time, the condition is "to come out of a transition, not an aesthetic outlet, and for that reason, it seems to me that the attitude of the regime) makes the gesture unrealizable ".

"On the other hand, we have already seen the answer of the government, which is already traditional, according to which, when it is in the narrow, with water in the throat, he calls his friends from countries that are not entirely reliable for the cause of democracy and we think that is not the case, "he said. And completed: "We want to talk with strangers and not talk to insiders at all"

Regarding the alleged differences between the position of the pope and that of the Venezuelan church, Porras said that "all this has been a media management: there is a unity of criteria, a complete and total action and a permanent relationship between the Vatican and us ".

"The pope has reiterated on more than one occasion that he is and feels with the bishopric that he has been challenged to deal with things and we have the full support of the Holy Fatherhe stressed.

He said that "everyone must fulfill their role and it is our turn first (the Venezuelan clergy), we have the first obligation to deal with it".

"We told the government that he wanted to address the Holy Father who is doing very well, but he must first go through us because there is total harmony," he said. -he declares.

Finally, he said that "the social situation worsens, human rights violations worsen and people through the demonstrations seek a peaceful solution. "

Cardinal Porras calls for the opening of the transition period for free elections in Venezuela https://t.co/T1F7pQxr1S

– Angel Ciappi (@paciappi) February 5, 2019