“Magnificat” for Venezuela – Folha de S. Paulo, December 16, 1973

 

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

 

The São Paulo daily press reported that President Caldera of Venezuela, in a press, radio, and TV interview, sought to refute an open letter the Venezuelan TFP had addressed to him. This fact warrants a clarifying comment.

The comment: the high degree of efficiency and prestige achieved by a still-young Society such as the Venezuelan TFP, to the point that the head of state responded with such publicity.

The clarification consists of narrating a series of facts of the utmost interest, which barely fit within the narrow limits of this article.

In short, the Venezuelan TFP achieved a victory over Christian democracy in their country, similar to that of their Chilean sister organization over Frei (and, consequently, over Allende). With the advantage for Venezuela that the anti-CD offensive may prevent the catastrophe from which Chile is only now slowly recovering.

The Venezuelan president is a member of the Christian Democrats. Thus, he was preparing for the rise of a candidate from the same party, Mr. L. Fernandez, in the upcoming elections. As a genuine Christian Democrat, this candidate presented himself to the electorate by discreetly expressing sympathy for the socialists and communists, while also receiving discreet support from members of the episcopate.

In this way, Fernandez hoped to secure his victory by forming a Catholic-Communist-Socialist coalition.

Significantly helping the game, a Venezuelan bishop, Most Rev. Constantino Maradey, issued a statement affirming that Catholics could vote for socialist candidates, provided their doctrine did not contradict Catholic doctrine. On March 10, the Venezuelan TFP published an appeal to Bishop Maradey, asking him to explain precisely where the dividing line lies between Catholic socialism and anti-Catholic socialism. The uncomfortable question went unanswered.

Meanwhile, to cover up Bishop Maradey’s attitude, the plenary assembly of Venezuelan bishops released a document on July 15th that adopted that bishop’s ambiguous position. This was followed by a similar interpellation from the TFP to that high ecclesiastical body.

No response.

There followed a statement by President Rafael Caldera calling for the resumption of diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Cuba. In addition to being reprehensible, the document fostered a pro-leftist climate favorable to the government candidate.

The TFP then released an open letter to the head of state, and he responded as noted above.

But the communist-“Christian” ferment did not cease. Faced with increasingly insistent reports that the communists would vote en masse for the Christian Democrat Fernandez, the TFP published a message to him on December 6, urging him to deny the reports lest his silence be taken as a confession that would ruin his candidacy.

The TFP publicized these successive stands, sometimes in its vibrant magazine Covadonga and sometimes in the major Caracas newspapers, and they were signed by the organization’s courageous president, Mr. Pedro Morazzani.

The TFP thus developed a highly ideological campaign without any political or partisan compensation. The telephone at TFP headquarters rang incessantly, relaying expressions of support and invective that underscored the high level of interest the campaign had generated. The election took place, and the CD candidate was defeated by more than 400,000 votes.

A considerable part of this difference was undoubtedly due to the lucid, astute, and courageous actions of our brilliant Venezuelan sister organization. Thus, the CD retreated in Venezuela, and the CP followed.

Yesterday, we sang a “Magnificat” for Chile. It is now time to sing a “Magnificat” for Venezuela.