BY ISN STAFF | March 16, 2019
LIMA, PERU — The Jesuit Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean (CPAL) hosted Jesuits leaders and lay partners from the region for a seminar meeting on the current situation in Venezuela. The meeting took place at the Universidad Jesuita del Perú, in Lima, Peru where the CPAL offices are based.
The scene in 2018 at one of the border crossings between Colombia and Venezuela in Cúcuta, Colombia. [George Castellanos/Jesuit Refugee Service]
The seminar was intended to provide space for leaders to identify factors contributing to the political and human rights crisis facing the Venezuelan people and discern the role of the Jesuits amid this reality moving forward. This is not the first time that CPAL has brought Jesuit leaders together to discuss the situation in Venezuela, in April 2018 leaders gathered in Panama City.
According to a statement issued after the seminar, signed by Jesuit Father Roberto Jarmillo, president of CPAL, the Jesuits in the region will seek to respond in three main ways moving forward: 1. Advocate for political solutions that promote human dignity and civil and political rights, particularly for those most vulnerable; 2. Increase support for Venezuelan migrants who seek assistance in countries throughout the region where the Jesuits, their lay partners, and ministries are present; 3. Deepen understanding of the situation in Venezuela through research, publication, and teaching that lead to deeper solidarity with the Venezuelan people.
An English translation of the full statement originally issued in Spanish can be found below.
