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CEC
Bogota (Agenzia Fides) - "We are seriously concerned about the requests for help and the needs of the populations and communities that are seriously affected," write the Colombian Bishops gathered in Bogota for the Plenary Assembly.
"It is urgent to pay special attention to migrants, displaced persons, returnees, victims of the increasing violence in the country's rural areas." The Colombian Bishops are referring to the region of Catatumbo, where violence has been raging for some time, plunging the region into the most serious crisis since 2002 (see Fides, 30/1/2025).
During the Plenary Assembly, which began on February 3, the Bishops' Conference drew attention to the President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro, after a controversial cabinet meeting broadcast live on national television. "The country is in a serious crisis," warned the bishops, calling for "effective responses" to the "profound, urgent and painful problems that afflict the nation."
"We declare our solidarity with Catatumbo and other regions of the country," they declared.
"In addition, the problem remains latent, not only of deported migrants, but also of those displaced and expelled due to the violence in the regions," the bishops said. They therefore strongly appealed to the national government and all state institutions to work in a coordinated manner and focus on the good of the nation, "in order to realize the united and peaceful country that we all long for."
"Today more than ever, let us not lose hope, but let us concentrate our efforts and support the initiatives that are being carried out in the communities," the bishops said. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 7/2/2025)
