Children and Hatred in Venezuela

As a mother, one of the things that worries me most right now about the hatred and violence we Venezuelans are living through is our children.

Last week we were watching television as a family when the images of the assaults in the National Assembly came on. One of my young daughters asked me, shocked: “Mommy, why are they hitting each other? What’s happening there?” The first thing I felt was great shame, great sorrow and great pain at such terrible acts; I couldn’t find a way to explain them to my daughter. What a sad example to set for the whole world and for Venezuelans, especially for so many children who are the future of our nation!

As mothers, we must demand peace, dialogue and reconciliation in Venezuela. We must demand that problems be resolved once and for all, following Pope Francis’s call for a dialogue based on truth. The vast majority of Venezuelan mothers cry out for this. Here is the link to a video recorded by a chavista mother who asks for a recount of the votes and says that here there are many people who don’t deserve a war, that our children don’t deserve that. She demands “no more lies, no more bad language, because our children are watching television and seeing everything that is happening”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6hZsBv\_foY

All of us! must reflect and realize that if we truly want a dignified future for our children, we must put into practice what the statement of the Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference says: “LET US LOVE NOT ONLY IN WORD BUT IN DEED AND IN TRUTH” (1 John 3:18): http://www.cev.org.ve/noticias\_det.php?id=3808. None of us! can take part in or promote hatred among Venezuelan brothers and sisters because, as the CEV also points out, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer” (1 Jn 3:15).

Enough violence! Enough political bullying of children in schools, on social networks, anywhere! Let us respect all our Venezuelan brothers and sisters, however they think. And above all let us respect the innocence of our children. Let us not destroy something so pure by sowing hatred or division in their hearts. Let us not make that very serious mistake because, as the CEV says, hatred, aggression and violence lead down paths of destruction and death, and our Christian faith invites us to be instruments of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.

I have always said that the best way not to feel hatred, nor fall into hatred or violence, is to pray for those who think differently from us; to pray hard for those who may harm us, to pray for those who lie… Let us fight for our rights and work for truth, freedom and democracy to be respected, but let us not fall into hatred, because it is a poison that kills us little by little. Let us not do to others what we would not like done to us! And let us protect our children by every means from that terrible evil, which can turn us into true beasts!

The best Mother’s Day present for all Venezuelan mothers and all their children is, and will be, that all our authorities, first of all, set an example of dialogue based on truth, of reconciliation and of peace. If they feel they can’t, that it’s very hard for them, let them pray! Let them kneel before God and ask him for humility, wisdom, meekness and Peace to resolve this crisis we are going through.

Let us ask God and our Blessed Virgin of Coromoto fervently, especially in this month of May, to protect us from hatred, from division among brothers and sisters, from violence. Let us ask them to protect each and every Venezuelan, especially our dear children, who do not deserve to lose their innocence and their joy because of the bad example some may give.

Let us care for the future of our nation and give Peace to our children and mothers! I hope that all of us mothers who are “giving birth” every day in this beloved homeland to move our families forward may receive as a gift this May 12 a true national dialogue based on Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reconciliation and Peace for all our dear Venezuelan brothers and sisters.