Venezuelan Cardinal Barred from Leaving Country — Passport Annulled at Airport
Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, emeritus of Caracas, was stopped from leaving Venezuela on December 10. Authorities at Simón Bolívar International Airport annulled his passport as he prepared to board a flight to Madrid.
Officials informed him he was under a travel ban, confiscated his passport, and detained him for about two hours before sending him back to his residence. He was escorted even to go to the bathroom.
Authorities claimed “non-compliance with travel regulations” and required Cardinal Porras to sign a document confirming he could not travel.
The cardinal reported that when he attempted to photograph the document, he was threatened with arrest.
He also said an officer told him he appeared as “deceased” in the government system, which was used to justify the passport cancellation.
The incident follows growing tension between the Venezuelan government and the Church.
Weeks earlier, Cardinal Porras had described the situation in Venezuela as “morally unacceptable …More
Venezuelan cardinal blocked from flight, has passports seized by socialist Maduro regime
Cardinal Baltazar Porras, emeritus of Caracas, Venezuela, was banned from leaving the country as he was boarding a plane. He was told that he won't be allowed to leave Venezuela anymore. Last month Porras said that Venezuela lives a situaton "morally unacceptable."
Venezuela mistreat their religious just as Nicaragua mistreats religious, except Nicaragua kicks them out of the country,