Latin American bishops unite in solidarity with Venezuela, condemning violence and calling for peace after U.S. forces seized President Maduro.
Newsroom (10/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) In the wake of the stunning U.S. invasion of Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, the Catholic Church across Latin America has risen in united solidarity. From the Andes to the Caribbean, bishops’ conferences have sounded the alarm, calling for peace, dialogue, and respect for human dignity amid one of the most volatile international crises in recent history.
Since January 3, when U.S. aircraft breached Venezuelan airspace, carried out strikes on military targets, and abducted the presidential couple, at least nine national episcopal conferences have voiced their concern. Their coordinated response underscores not only spiritual fraternity but also the Church’s moral authority across the region.
A Call for Peace Amid Chaos
The Bolivian episcopate was among the first to respond. On the very day of the invasion, Bolivia’s bishops released a letter titled Hope Doesn’t Disappoint, expressing deep solidarity with Venezuela’s Church and people. “We repudiate all excessive use of violence,” the letter read, affirming a commitment to dialogue and justice as the only viable path forward.
In neighboring Panama, Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa of Panama City told worshippers during his January 4 homily that “Venezuela is not alone.” His appeal carried both spiritual compassion and political urgency. The following day, Panama’s bishops sent an official letter of support to Venezuela’s episcopate, highlighting the emotional connection shared by thousands of Venezuelan migrants living in Panama.
A Region in Prayer
On January 5, the Chilean bishops invited all Christian communities in their country to dedicate a full day of prayer to the Venezuelan people, acknowledging the “complex situation” wrought by violence and uncertainty. Chile’s statement took on added resonance given its large Venezuelan population—nearly 700,000 refugees now call Chile home.
That same day, Costa Rica’s bishops cited the words of Pope Leo XIV, reminding the world that Venezuela’s sovereignty “must be ensured,” along with the defense of its constitutional rule of law and the human rights of its citizens. Argentina’s episcopate, echoing these sentiments, reached out personally to Archbishop Jesús González de Zárate of Valencia, who leads the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference.
Brazil and CELAM Weigh In
Perhaps the strongest institutional voice came from Brazil. Cardinal Jaime Spengler, who heads both Brazil’s Bishops’ Conference and the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), issued a statement renewing the Church’s faith in the “strength of the Gospel of unarmed and disarming peace.” His message called for “sincere dialogue, illuminated by truth, justice, and respect for the sovereignty of nations” as the only route to reconciliation.
CELAM itself later issued a letter resonating with Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral concern. “His call is clear and hopeful,” the statement read, urging leaders to abandon violence in favor of “justice and peace, built from dialogue and truth.”
Continental Communion
From Mexico to Uruguay, Puerto Rico to the Amazon basin, the messages spoke with one voice. Church networks such as the Pan-Amazon Ecclesial Network (REPAM), the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), and the Justice and Peace Network of Patria Grande added their signatures to a swelling chorus of solidarity.
Bishop José Antônio da Conceição Ferreira of Puerto Cabello, who serves as secretary general of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, told Crux that these messages brought comfort to Venezuela’s Church amid fear and uncertainty. “They’re an expression of the Church’s real communion,” he said. “Not only the one described in theology and documents, but a communion that appears in a moment of pain.”
Ferreira reflected on how Latin America’s shared past—marked by political upheaval, inequality, and foreign intervention—creates a deep empathy among its churches. “We all face poverty and political struggles,” he added. “That’s why we understand each other so well. It strengthens our fraternity.”
Faith in Uncertain Times
While calm reigns for now in Puerto Cabello, Ferreira admitted that a heavy cloud of doubt looms over daily life. “Venezuelans want to move on with their lives,” he said. “But we have many questions now. And the Church must continue to show the light of the Gospel—the one that never disappears.”
Across a tense hemisphere, that enduring light may be the only constant—binding together a region searching for peace, dignity, and hope amid violence once again.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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