Pope Francis calls on “all parties to seek the truth and avoid any type of violence”

“A sincere appeal.” Pope Francis called on Sunday, August 4, “all parties” in Venezuela at “seek the truth” after the contested re-election of President Nicolas Maduro, and to avoid violence. The sovereign pontiff, who was addressing the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, asked to “to resolve disputes through dialogue and to take into account the real interests of the population and not the interests of the parties.” The pontiff spoke as the opposition insists that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, won the presidential election – a claim supported by the United States and several Latin American countries.

The leaders of seven European countries – France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland – on Saturday called on Venezuela to “promptly publish all minutes” polling stations, in a joint statement. At least 11 civilians and one soldier were killed, and more than 1,200 people arrested, during spontaneous protests that broke out across the country to challenge Nicolas Maduro’s continued rule in the two days following the vote.