CARACAS, (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Pope Francis called yesterday for an end to violence in Venezuela that has killed at least 13 people and urged politicians to take the lead in calming the nation’s worst unrest in a decade.
Both political camps demonstrated in cities round Venezuela. In the capital Caracas, female opposition supporters rallied, while agricultural workers marched to the presidential palace in support of the Socialist government.
Students and other opponents of President Nicolas Maduro are demanding that he quit over grievances including high inflation, shocking levels of violent crime, shortages of basic food, and what they say is his repression of political rivals.
The protests are the biggest challenge to Maduro’s 10-month-old administration, although there is no sign they could topple him or affect the OPEC nation’s oil shipments.
Among the latest expressions of international concern, Pope Francis told tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square he was “particularly concerned” by recent events.
“I sincerely hope the violence and hostility ends as soon as possible, and that the Venezuelan people, beginning with the responsible politicians and institutions, act to foster national reconciliation through mutual forgiveness and sincere dialogue,” Francis said during his weekly address.
U.N. head Ban called for “concrete gestures by all parties to reduce polarization” and engage in dialogue. “He appeals to Venezuelans, no matter their political perspective, to voice differences and grievances peacefully and in accordance with the law, and to seek common ground,” a statement added.
Maduro, a 51-year-old former bus driver and union boss, invited church, business and opposition leaders to a “national peace conference” at the presidential palace on Wednesday.
However, major opposition figures declined to attend.
“This cannot just be a photo op,” two-time opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles told Reuters, saying Maduro was not ready to discuss Venezuela’s real problems.
“Who does dialogue suit more? Nicolas, I think … This is a government that is becoming extinct, eating itself up.”
APPEAL TO MILITARY
Female opposition supporters donned white clothes to march in silence from a western Caracas neighborhood to a nearby National Guard military base, carrying photographs of victims of alleged brutality by the security forces.
“You can refuse a superior if they force you to commit a crime … don’t stain your family’s honor,” they said in an open letter to the troops.
Meanwhile, pro-Maduro farm workers clad mostly in the bright red of the ruling Socialist Party marched in the center of the capital under the slogan, “Sowing peace and harvesting life!”
“Here are the farmers who are defending the revolution en masse!” said Agricultural Minister Yvan Gil.
Opposition demonstrations began at the start of the month, but mushroomed when three people were shot dead after a Feb. 12 opposition march in downtown Caracas.
Video and photographs taken on the day showed men widely believed to be state security agents apparently firing pistols at stone-throwing student protesters clashing with police.
Yesterday, Venezuela’s state prosecutor said five members of the national intelligence agency Sebin had been detained over two of the deaths, suspected of crimes including homicide.
Maduro, who narrowly won a presidential vote last April to replace the late Hugo Chavez, accuses foreign media of working with “imperialists” abroad to project an image of chaos.
About 150 people have been injured during the two-week crisis, and more than 500 people arrested. The government says the vast majority of them have since been freed pending trial.
Maduro said yesterday more than 50 people had died from the unrest. He was referring not only to the 13 people shot or directly killed around protests and rallies, but also those indirectly affected by for example being blocked from hospital.
