Citing “polarization, a lack of institutional integrity, and restrictions on democratic guarantees,” the bishops of Venezuela called for “free and transparent elections, with an impartial National Electoral Council (CNE) and an independent Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), so that due process is guaranteed, disqualifications are brought to an end, and the political rights of all citizens are respected.”
Delcy Rodríguez, Nicolás Maduro’s vice president, has been the nation’s acting president since U.S. forces removed Maduro from office in January. The bishops welcomed “greater freedom of expression for the mass media” since January, even as they said that “many actions still need to be taken to restore citizens’ rights.”