[Venezuelanalysis.com's Chris Carlson reports on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's call on Pope Benedict XVI to apologise to the indigenous people of Latin America for his comments on the supposedly benign evangelisation of the region. --Ed]
Venezuela’s President Chavez Tells Pope to Apologize to Indigenous Peoples
By Chris Carlson - Venezuelanalysis.com
May 21, 2007
Mérida, May 21, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com)— Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez called on Pope Benedict XVI to apologize to the indigenous people of Latin America for his comments on the evangelization of the region. During an official visit to Brazil last week, the Pope defended the evangelization of the indigenous people of Latin America, claiming that Christianity had not been "imposed" upon them. Chavez disputed this in a speech Friday night, calling on his nation to challenge the old capitalist hegemony and create a new society. In a nationally broadcast speech at an event in Caracas, Chavez criticized the Pope's remarks and asked him to "offer an apology to the people of our America." "How can the Pope say that the evangelization was not imposed," said Chavez. "Then why did our indigenous people have to flee to the jungles and the mountains?" he asked. (click here to view entire article)
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