Church groups in Colombia are mobilizing to support thousands of Venezuelan refugees who recently fled a military offensive and are stuck in a remote Colombian border town.
Pro-immigrant groups applauded a March 8 decision by the Biden administration to protect some 320,000 Venezuelans in the United States under a temporary immigration program.
Bishops in Colombia's Chocó department are calling for a cease-fire between the Colombian army and rebel groups fighting over drug trafficking routes and illegal gold mines in one of the country's most remote regions.
Some 1.7 million Venezuelans have come to neighboring Colombia to flee their country's economic and political turmoil, despite the border closure. The pandemic is making it difficult for them to earn a living or avoid exploitation.
The Gospel story of Jesus healing the leper illustrates how nothing will stop God from tenderly and compassionately drawing close to people who want to be healed and saved, Pope Francis said.
Iota marked the first recorded Category 5 storm ever to hit the island. The Colombian government estimates that the hurricane damaged 100% of structures, destroying eight of 10 of them.
Amid severe economic consequences of COVID-19, Catholics in Latin America — often inspired by Pope Francis' teachings against unregulated capitalism — have raised their voices against neoliberal policies.
A Nicaraguan priest said Hurricane Iota hit the northeastern corner of the country with "more force" than Hurricane Eta two weeks earlier and left communities devastated and families homeless.
