2023-08-02 00:30:50
A pastor who had been facing a legal battle over a sermon given at the opening of the March for Jesus, in Venezuela, ended up arrested and received a new sentence, after waiting a year in prison.
In addition to being a pastor, José Albeiro Vivas is also a major in the Venezuelan Air Force. During an edition of Marcha para Jesus, he made an opening speech, where he referred to the spiritual liberation of Venezuelans, which ended up being interpreted as a political speech.
“On this October 12th, we are all going to worship God together; public worship of the King of kings and Lord of lords. March for Jesus, Barinas 2019, Federation Park, 11 am. I invite all Christian people. I know that God is doing great things in Barinas and Venezuela and this year’s motto is: ‘Venezuela, the time has come for your freedom’. The time for freedom has come. And whoever chooses freedom will be truly free. God bless you. Thank you,” he said at the time.
The authorities of the Venezuelan dictatorship cited the use of the military uniform, on the occasion of the March, to justify the punishment of the pastor. According to information from Guiame, however, the use of military uniforms in religious events is a custom of the military in the country, including Catholics.
The motivation behind the punishment of pastor José Albeiro Vivas may be political, as the religious leader has been coordinating the March for Jesus in the country for 13 years, being someone who has the power to influence thousands of people.
The organization Portas Abertas, which monitors religious persecution in the world, asks for prayers on behalf of Pastor Vivas. According to the entity, a new judicial sentence, last month, gave him parole, which alleviates his suffering, as it avoids his separation from his family.
However, the religious leader will have to appear before the court every month for eight months, being monitored during this period, which also means the risk of being the target of new accusations of a political-ideological nature.
“Venezuelan legislation guarantees religious freedom in Article 59 of the Constitution, but, in practice, reactions such as the one that the rulers had towards Pastor Vivas are very common, with restrictions on freedom of expression of faith, because almost everything they say can be misinterpreted and cause condemnation,” says the Open doors.
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