Surprise! Venezuelan Catholic Bishops Oppose Bolivarian Laws
Rubbing elbows with the aristocracy for millennia, they are not called "princes of the church" for nothing. During the Spanish civil war they sided uniformly with Franco.
he Vatican supports privileged interests over popular ones worldwide, hostile to equity and social justice in Venezuela like elsewhere else, pretending otherwise. President Maduro’s government aims to be leading efforts worldwide in combating hate crimes, National Constituent Assembly (ANC) President Delcy Rodriguez saying:
“The hate crimes we see around the world, against Muslims and others, Venezuela plans to lead the fight against these crimes.”
The newly enacted Law Against Hatred and Fascism intends prosecuting acts of racism, intolerance, fascism and persecution, holding guilty parties fully accountable. ANC policies aim to serve all Venezuelans equitably, stressing social justice even in hard economic times. The Truth, Justice and Reparation Commission for Victims will review cases of violence since 1999, Bolivarianism’s inception, seeking justice for individuals abused for being poor, Black or Chavista.
Rodriquez denounced opposition fascists for selling out to Washington - instead of serving Venezuelans responsibly. Days earlier, Venezuelan bishops’ justice and peace commission head Roberto Luckert falsely accused Maduro’s government of intending to use the new hate crimes law to target opposition elements in the country - “so we can’t even speak or protest,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, are we to believe that Francis I, an Argentinian pope, is too busy to tell his minions to shut up or at least support the masses' struggle for social justice?
The law targets dark forces promoting hatred and racism. It has nothing to do with curtailing speech, media and academic freedoms. Luckert lied saying Maduro “hamstrung the new media. They’re using the supply of newsprint to undermine us,” he falsely claimed. “The oldest newspaper in Coro is called La Mañana. The can’t print it because they’re not giving them any newsprint.”
Luckert spreading anti-Bolivarian propaganda via an obliging media. The US propaganda machine will surely soon get into the act. They often instigate these voices to serve as propaganda themes against the targeted government or process.
“On the other hand, they gave to the paper that they founded a building, machinery, and newsprint, and it comes out every day. That’s freedom of the speech? No.”
Private enterprises aren’t given things. They have to pay for them. If Manana isn’t printing, it’s not paying for what it needs so doesn’t have them. That’s how free enterprise is supposed to work - except in America and other Western societies where governments lavish handouts on big business and bails them out when troubled, especially large banks. Ordinary people in these societies are left increasingly on their own, suffering under neoliberal harshness so privileged elites can benefit.
Very good at empty gestures, Francis is apparently too busy to put the church on the side of the poor.
Luckert also blamed months of right-wing violence, orchestrated in Washington, on Maduro’s government. He supports elections won by opposition fascists, not Chavistas supporting Bolivarian fairness.
In response to sweeping Bolivarian victories in October’s regional elections, winning 18 of 23 gubernatorial races, international observing calling them open, free and fair, Luckert shamefully denounced them, falsely accusing the National Electoral Council of “s(elling) out to the government,” claiming it manipulated results - a Big Lie.
The constitutionally authorized National Constituent Assembly (ANC) represents democracy in action, the kind absent in the West, especially in America. Caracas cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino earlier turned truth on its head, denouncing the ANC as “fraudulent and illegitimate,” falsely claiming:
“It’s made up of political activists at the service of the government and it’s not going to resolve the problems with the economy...What’s needed here is to change the Marxist, totalitarian, and statist ideology that has brought the country to ruin,” adding:
Maduro intends “decapitat(ing) the opposition so there’s just one political party.”
Prelates should stick to religious teaching and stay out of affairs of state, especially when supporting fascism over social democracy.
STEPHEN LENDMAN was born in 1934 in Boston, MA. In 1956, he received a BA from Harvard University. Two years of US Army service followed, then an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960. After working seven years as a marketing research analyst, he joined the Lendman Group family business in 1967. He remained there until retiring at year end 1999. Writing on major world and national issues began in summer 2005. In early 2007, radio hosting followed. Lendman now hosts the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network three times weekly. Distinguished guests are featured. Listen live or archived. Major world and national issues are discussed. Lendman is a 2008 Project Censored winner and 2011 Mexican Journalists Club international journalism award recipient. His new site is at http://stephenlendman.orgRubbing elbows with the aristocracy for millennia, they are not called “princes of the church” for nothing. During the Spanish civil war they sided uniformly with Franco.
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