Venezuela: Christians killed by armed groups

Within the last few months there have been at least two serious incidents in Venezuela involving the killing of church workers:

• 20 October 2020: As reported by Aleteia on 22 October 2020, a Roman Catholic priest was shot dead at the door of his church home in San Carlos (Cojedes). According to witnesses, armed criminals shot the priest when he tried to prevent them from robbing a group of Christians accompanying him.
• 6 January 2021: Agencia Fidez reported on 8 January 2021 that a Roman Catholic "˜lay brother" had died of injuries sustained in an attack by an armed gang which had broken into premises belonging to La Salle Religious Institute in Barquisimeto in northern Venezuela.

Rossana Ramirez, persecution analyst at World Watch Research comments: "In addition to the severe humanitarian crisis that the country is going through under President Maduro, there has also been a rise in violence, evident in two ways: i) The government has been using the COVID-19 state of emergency as an excuse to punish dissent and intensify its control over the population (Human Rights Watch, World Report 2021); ii) it has been possible for criminal groups to act with almost total impunity, sometimes in complicity with the state authorities to support the regime"s policies. In the country"s current state of chaos, Catholic churches and staff have continued to care for the welfare of their surrounding communities and thus continue to be vulnerable social actors. In 2018 and 2019, it was the state authorities making life difficult for the churches. Now it seems that the difficulties are coming from the state"s criminal allies. In 2021, the risks are particularly high since the Venezuelan Bishop"s Conference did not mince words in its January statement: The bishops denounced the lack of human rights, criticized the government and called for a return to democracy (Agenzia Fides, 13 January 2021)."