Panama's Archbishop urges Venezuelans to keep hope, prays for Machado

Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa of Panama has called on Venezuelans not to lose hope, despite the immense challenges they face. Speaking during a homily in Panama City's Santa María La Antigua Cathedral, he also offered prayers for the strength of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was present.

The archbishop's message, delivered in a service dedicated to victims of a recent 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquake in northern Venezuela that caused thousands of deaths and disappearances, emphasized resilience. "They may have taken, stolen, many things from the South American country during these years, but they have not been able to take away, steal, its hope," Ulloa stated.

Addressing the 7.9 million Venezuelans who have fled their country due to the ongoing political and economic crisis, Ulloa recognized the profound weight of displacement. "Only those who have had to leave their land know how much nostalgia weighs," he said, adding that "only those who have lived the experience of migration understand that there is a fatigue that is not seen on the face, but is carried deeply in the soul."

Ulloa extended particular support to Machado, who has been in Panama with a low profile after her attempt to return to Venezuela was thwarted. "I also greet, with respect and closeness, Mrs. María Corina Machado, assuring her of our prayers so that the Lord may enlighten her, strengthen her, and sustain her in the responsibility she has assumed in service to her people," the archbishop said. He also included prayers for those affected by the earthquake, noting that while buildings may crumble, "there is one place that never collapses: the heart of Christ."