Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Caracas (Agenzia Fides) – The Archbishop of Caracas, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, denounced the death of three young men in the Venezuelan state of Táchira. He did so at the end of the 6th Archdiocesan Youth March, held on Sunday 22 February which brought together hundreds of young people from Caracas.
“Two of the young people disappeared and the dead bodies were later found with gunshot wounds” the Cardinal said referring to university students José Daniel Pinto (20) and Alejandro Garcia (22) who, according to news agencies, were presumably arrested by the police. "A third student, who had disappeared two or three days ago, was also found dead with a bullet to his head" the Archbishop added.
Cardinal Urosa Savino complained that no church representative had been allowed to visit three university students (Lorent Saleh, Gerardo Carrero and Gabriel Valles) detained at Sebin Police Station in Caracas. "Recently Bishop José Trinidad Fernández, auxiliary of Caracas, went to Sebin and tried to see the young men, but he was denied access" said the Cardinal. "But we will insist because we believe that there are no rules which prevent students from receiving visitors, " he added. He then continued: "Venezuela should not be known, as it is today, for abuse and maltreatment of prisoners, especially regarding these boys who are political prisoners".
Venezuelans, especially those in Caracas, still live in a state of tension since the arrest of the mayor of the capital charged with involvement in a coup (see Fides 20/02/2015). The people, according to Fides sources in Venezuela, want national agreement for a government of transition, in order to overcome the economic crisis which the country is experiencing, but President Maduro still refuses to listen to this request.
(CE) (Agenzia Fides, 24/02/2015)
