Pope pleads for peace in Venezuela | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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CARACAS, Venezuela -- Voices across the globe expressed concern Sunday over the growing number of arrests in Venezuela after last weekend's disputed elections.

In his traditional Sunday remarks at the Vatican, Pope Francis said Venezuela is "living a critical situation," adding, "I appeal to all parties to seek the truth, to avoid all kinds of violence."

The remarks came hours after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced Saturday that the government had arrested 2,000 opponents. At a rally in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, Maduro pledged to detain more people and send them to prison.

U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer told the CBS program "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the Biden administration is worried the arrests could spark wider unrest.

"We are concerned about the prospect of instability should there continue to be these detentions," Finer said.

In a statement, the leaders of several European countries including France, Spain, Germany and Italy said "the rights of all the Venezuelans, especially the political leaders, should be respected during this process. We strongly condemn any arrests or threats against them."

Authorities have declared Maduro the victor in last Sunday's election but have yet to produce voting tallies to prove he won. The opposition claims to have tally sheets showing it won.

An Associated Press analysis Friday of vote tally sheets released by the opposition coalition indicates that their candidate, Edmundo González, won significantly more votes than the government claimed, casting serious doubt on the official declaration that Maduro won.

González, a former diplomat, and opposition leader María Corina Machado -- who was barred by the government from running -- have gone into hiding, saying they fear they will be arrested or killed. Maduro and his cadres have threatened to lock them both up.

The government arrested hundreds of opposition supporters who took to the streets in the days after the disputed poll.

Machado braved the threats to speak at a large opposition rally Saturday in Caracas, but was whisked away afterward on the back of a motorcycle.

"After six days of brutal repression, they thought they were going to silence us, intimidate or paralyze us," Machado told the rally. "The presence of every one of you here today represents the best of Venezuela."

A few hours later, Maduro again threatened to arrest González for not showing up at the electoral council meeting he had been summoned to. The council, like most parts of Venezuela's government, is completely controlled by Maduro.

"You face serious legal consequences for disobeying the Constitution, the courts and the law," Maduro said of González.

Maduro also vowed to continue to use a heavy hand against his opponents, saying 2,000 of them have been arrested already.

"This time there will be no pardon, this time there will be Tocorón," he said, referring to a notorious prison.

On Friday, masked assailants ransacked the opposition's headquarters, taking documents and vandalizing the space.

In his speech, Maduro issued threats but also called for reconciliation and peace, claiming, "there is room in Venezuela for everyone" and calling it "the blessed land of opportunity."

Venezuela sits atop the world's largest proven crude oil reserves and once boasted Latin America's most advanced economy, but it entered into a freefall marked by 130,000% hyperinflation and widespread shortages after Maduro took the helm in 2013. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2014, the largest exodus in Latin America's recent history.

U.S. oil sanctions have only deepened the misery, and the Biden administration -- which had been easing those restrictions -- is now likely to ramp them up again unless Maduro agrees to some sort of transition.

A giant Hugo Chavez balloon towers over supporters before the start of a pro-government rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) A supporter holds a framed image of President Nicolas Maduro as people gather for a government rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Supporters of President Nicolas Maduro gather for a government rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) [ad_1]

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