Francis, speaking to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square for his weekly address, decried a "grave humanitarian, social , political and economic crisis that is exhausting the population". "I make a heartfelt appeal to the government and all components of Venezuelan society to avoid any more forms of violence, respect human rights and seek a negotiated solution ...," he said. Supporters say Leopoldo Lopez, the jailed head of the hardline opposition Popular Will party, and others are political prisoners whose arrests symbolize Maduro's lurch into dictatorship. Maduro says all are behind bars for legitimate crimes, and calls Lopez, 45, a violent hothead intent on promoting a coup. Francis told reporters on the plane returning from Cairo on Saturday that "very clear conditions" were necessary for the talks to resume.

Source: bd News24 April 30, 2017 11:03 UTC