“Our homeland is going through moments of deep unease and uncertainty, but also of great hope for profound change.” Thus speaks, in an exclusive interview with Religion Digital, **Raúl Biord, Archbishop of Caracas**, a pastor with a serene tone and a forceful diagnosis, who does not hesitate to denounce “the precarious economic situation,” the “loss of future” suffered by youth, the need for “a broad and inclusive amnesty,” and the urgency of “a new country model” built from reconciliation and dialogue.
According to the Venezuelan prelate, “the people breathe an urgent desire for stability and peace, not imposed by force, but based on truth and justice” and, therefore, “it is time to embark together on the long and difficult path of national reconciliation that allows us a social and democratic coexistence, in a Venezuela where, beyond legitimate differences, we all find a place and a home.”
In that process, the role of the Venezuelan Church is, according to Biord, “to be bridges and not walls, acting as a prophetic voice that calls for reconciliation and peace” and, in that sense, asks the people and the Spanish Church: “Do not forget us.”
**¿Cómo definiría la situación actual de Venezuela?**
Our homeland is going through moments of deep concern and uncertainty, but also of much hope for profound change. Following the events of January 2026, there are mixed feelings, but the people breathe a pressing desire for stability and peace, not imposed by force, but based on truth and justice.
The concern of the vast majority of people is the precarious economic situation, as a large percentage of the population survives on what they can earn each day. The salaries of workers, especially in education and health, are meager. Pensions for retirees are not enough to buy food and medicine. There is a great deal of need, and a longing for there to be work with sufficient salaries to satisfy basic needs and lead a dignified life. It is also contradictory that a small sector of the population lives in opulence and waste, while so many poor people do not have what is necessary to live.
Another major concern is the release of all political prisoners and others arbitrarily detained. We are not only asking for their release, but for their full freedom without restrictions on their fundamental rights, without precautionary measures such as having to report, being prohibited from leaving the country, or giving public statements. Restoring justice will require the purification of memory, the clarification of the truth, and a broad and inclusive amnesty, the result of extensive consultation with various sectors of civil society.
Amidst the deep changes that have been experienced in recent days, there is a feeling of temporality that must be overcome, of the need for a process of transition towards a genuine democratic institutionalization, and for that, a clear and agreed roadmap is required between all sectors. It is about embarking together on the long and difficult path of national reconciliation that allows us a social and democratic coexistence, in a Venezuela where, beyond legitimate differences, we all find a place and a home.
In this delicate moment, do you feel the support of the Pope and the Church?
Over these years, we have felt very closely the closeness of Pope Francis and now of Pope Leo. His words in the Angelus on January 4th guide us greatly, and we have taken them as a guide for the exhortation of the Episcopal Conference published on February 9th, as it invites us to seek above all the common good of the people, to overcome violence, to embark on paths of justice and peace, to promote respect for human dignity and fundamental rights, and above all to work together to build a serene future of collaboration, stability and concord, with special attention to the poorest.
Likewise, we appreciate as great support the concern of the Holy See, especially through the Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, from the various Episcopal Conferences and other ecclesial instances of Latin America and from various parts of the world. We know that we are not alone, but that our church, by being Catholic, transcends borders, feels solidarity with the anguish and hopes of all local churches and, in particular, with Venezuela.
We have felt the solidarity of many sister churches at different times when the economic crisis has worsened, not only with their prayers, but with support for many social projects carried out by all dioceses and parishes.
What role can the Venezuelan church play in building a future of concord in the country?
The church in Venezuela has been and will continue to be a meeting point for all, a “home and school of communion,” as Saint John Paul II said, amidst social fragmentation. Our role is to be bridges, not walls, acting as a prophetic voice that calls for reconciliation and peace.
The Venezuelan church, in its various instances, due to its capillary presence throughout the territory, its credible testimony, and its broad social action, is one of the institutions closest to the most vulnerable. This allows us to facilitate the necessary dialogue that, although in this situation appears to be a degraded word, is the only path to achieve the overcoming of the real danger of violence and an understanding that allows to build the necessary consensus.
As bishops have said in the latest exhortation: “The possibility of building a serene future of freedom and justice goes through the reconciliation of its children, the return to a homeland that is a home for all, that identifies itself as a single people, that becomes again a place of opportunities for progress and happiness, especially for the poorest.” We must “overcome the barriers that prevent us from building the reality of the ‘we’ national with the participation and inclusion of all sectors of the country. It is necessary to promote spaces of dialogue that lead to a great national agreement on the future we want to build” (n.
18). In this sense, the church opens its doors so that different sectors can meet and together seek that social agreement so necessary.
**¿La archidiócesis de Caracas sigue especialmente volcada en la mediación y en la atención a los más vulnerables? **
Not only the archdiocese of Caracas, but all dioceses and vicariates are committed to the accompaniment of the most vulnerable, through presence and evangelization in the most popular and vulnerable neighborhoods, Catholic schools that are largely dedicated to the poorest, vocational training centers, health centers, clinics, and hospitals, parish soup kitchens, labor empowerment projects, among others. Caritas national and parish Caritas deploy a great action of assistance, training, and transformation. These pastoral and social services are signs of commitment to the promotion of the common good, especially that of the poorest and most needy.
Certainly, this is a solidarity and subsidiary work, guided by the Social Doctrine of the Church.
During the canonization process of the new saints, José Gregorio Hernández and Mother Carmen Rendiles, the archdiocese of Caracas has promoted a greater commitment of the church in two fundamental social areas: health and education. In particular, with the projects of the “Emergency Room” and the “Intensive Care Unit” of the Hospital Clínica Padre Machado for the healthcare of broad impoverished sectors in the west of the city. Likewise, concrete projects have been supported for the improvement of the facilities of several Catholic schools in vulnerable areas such as La Pastora, La Cota 905, El Centro, La Morán, and El Paraíso.
Continued attention to families of political prisoners who regularly attend the Episcopal Conference, the Nunciature, and the archdiocese of Caracas has been and is a constant of these years, followed by and continuing mediations for their release. Sometimes, this involves public denunciations through exhortations from the episcopado and other communications, but most of the time it is a silent and sometimes misunderstood work of intermediation, always respecting the dignity of each person and their inalienable freedom.
We want that, in the face of the consequences of the crisis that has caused us anthropological damage and a disintegration of families, each parish and Christian community becomes increasingly a center of communion, an oasis of fraternity, and a space for encounter, listening, and accompaniment, generating signs of comfort, healing of wounds, forgiveness, and mercy. The Sharing campaign, which we will carry out during Lent, has the motto “Healing the wound. Embracing life,” will be an opportunity to unite wills in search of fraternity and reconciliation.
What can Catholic young people contribute to the construction of the country?
Young Venezuelan people have been the ones who have suffered the most from this prolonged social, political, and economic crisis. Millions of them have had to migrate to other places in search of better conditions and, above all, to help their families by sending important remittances to the extent possible. We have had an “exodus of the future,” however, today more than ever young people are present, such as the student movement accompanying the families of prisoners and demanding the total release of those unjustly detained.
Our young people are not asking for handouts, but for opportunities through study and work, to have decent wages. They want to feel that their efforts have meaning in their land, that they do not have to leave everything behind, that here they can project their lives and form a family. We are confident that this new stage of the country that we must rebuild, the young people who are here and many who will return will be the protagonists of the change we need. As a church, we see in them the most valuable resource for national renewal.
To this end, it is urgent and essential to make a significant investment in the education system, from early childhood to university. Children, boys, girls, adolescents, and young people have the right to quality education, especially in this new era of technology and artificial intelligence, failing which a new exclusion will occur. The church counts on you young people, and we commit to further qualifying our educational action.
February 12th was celebrated in Venezuela as Youth Day, remembering heroic and leading moments in our history. It is time to believe in young people, to bet on them, and to build with them a new society, more just, participatory, and full of opportunities.
What appeal does it want to make to all actors involved in the current situation in the country?
Without a doubt, these are very difficult times that require prudence and common sense. When a containment dam is broken or exceeded, the violence of the contained water can sweep away everything good and bad, causing a lot of damage.
Certainly, there are deep and genuine feelings of pain that we respect very much, the need to restore justice so violated, especially in the field of personal and social human rights, but it is essential to avoid violence, banish lies, hatred, resentments, revenge, and war of words. This is what the prophet Isaiah proclaims: “When you remove from your midst oppression, the menacing gesture and the curse, when you share your bread with the hungry and satisfy the stomach of the needy, your light will shine in the darkness, your gloom will become midday” (Is 58,9-10). God always opens paths of peace for his people, and offers new opportunities.
The Episcopal Conference has written in its exhortation: “This requires all Venezuelans to undertake processes of reunion, mutual recognition, forgiveness, and reconciliation, purification of memory in truth and justice, with a firm will to respect the dignity of persons and the continuous exercise of fraternity” (n. 9).
It is important to make a call to promote together a transition, that we are not content only with avoiding violence or seeking economic stabilization, but that we commit to seeking a new model of country. It will be important that we all participate, Venezuelans who are here and those who are outside, in a climate of mutual respect and the search for a serene and stable coexistence, regardless of one’s own ideology or party affiliation. Quoting again the exhortation of the bishops: “One of the greatest aspirations of the Venezuelan people is to recognize ourselves as participants in a common destiny, to live in peace and freedom. In this sense, we consider that this will only be possible if the political and social crisis that our nation is currently experiencing is resolved” (n. 8).
It’s not an easy process, but if it’s feasible, even more so, it’s necessary. Here we are playing with the homeland and the future.
What do you ask of the Spanish Church?
Spain and Venezuela are brother peoples. This is true of all Ibero-American nations, but in our case, historical and traditional roots were strengthened by the migration of so many mainlanders and islanders from the Canaries starting in the second half of the 20th century. There are many people born in Spain who have become and feel Venezuelan, and many others born here have Spanish citizenship because of their blood. Venezuelan migration to Spanish lands has been very numerous. The Spanish church has been concerned that they be welcomed, and through Caritas, has provided many with attention, help, and support. Thank you for what you have done and will continue to do for our migrants, please continue to accompany them.
Secondly, the Spanish Episcopal Conference, many dioceses, parishes, and associations, have supported us with financial aid to develop cooperation, education, and health projects. Do not forget us. There are promises of economic recovery at this time, but the poor are suffering greatly, and it is time to accompany them and offer them a hand.
Finally, in Spain, the issue of Venezuela is closely monitored, with many opinion and information articles. In several of them, the polarization we experience here is reflected in the assessment of events and in the projection of the future. Thank you for keeping an eye on us and for accompanying us, so that we are capable of building a better future from the self-determination of our people, in respect for human rights and the pursuit of the common good. May the best legacy left to us by the missionaries, faith in God and devotion to the Holy Virgin Mary, help us in this new stage that opens for our people, be an encouragement and commitment to forge a society inspired by the values of the Gospel.
José Manuel Vidal
English version translated with AI