LCWR Response to Crisis in Venezuela

Mon, 2026-01-05

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) stands with all people whose lives are threatened by violence, war, and hatred. Rooted in our faith, we profess our unwavering belief in the dignity, value, and rights of every human person and our commitment to the sacredness of human life.

With deep concern for the people of Venezuela, LCWR stands in solidarity with our sisters and brothers of the Confederation of Latin American Religious (CLAR) and with the consistent teaching of the Church in opposing the use of military force as a means of resolving political and democratic crises. Violence and war do not bring peace; they deepen suffering, destabilize nations, and place the most vulnerable at greatest risk.

We affirm the power of dialogue, negotiation, and diplomacy over military action. We call upon the United States Congress to exercise its constitutional and moral responsibility to address any use of force that violates our shared commitment to protect and promote human life and the common good.

The people of Venezuela deserve the freedom to determine their own future without coercion, violence, or external domination. We recognize that these same threats endanger other countries throughout Latin America, and we affirm our solidarity with all peoples whose sovereignty, dignity, and democratic aspirations are placed at risk by similar forces.

We also call upon people of faith to commit themselves to prayer for the people of Venezuela and for the discernment of global leaders, that decisions may be guided by wisdom, restraint, respect for human life, and a genuine concern for the common good.

[With special thanks to LCWR Director of Communications]