World Communion of Reformed Churches calls for solidarity and justice amid Venezuela crisis

The World Communion of Reformed Churches strongly condemns the illegal act of aggression by the United States of America in Venezuela earlier on Saturday. It further expresses deep concern over the growing political, economic, and social pressures facing Venezuela, including the threat of occupation by the United States. It calls for an immediate end to military interventions and for international law to be respected by the United States.

Guided by the Accra Confession, which critiques systems of empire, domination, and exploitation, the WCRC emphasized that Venezuela’s crisis cannot be understood solely as a domestic political matter and calls for a consideration of the global implications of militarization in general and Saturday’s aggression in particular. The country’s vast oil reserves and strategic importance have made it a focal point in global power struggles, increasing the risk that coercion, manipulation, or military threats could be normalized as tools for reshaping sovereign states. Such actions are an affront to human dignity and a direct challenge to God’s justice.

The WCRC recalls the binding principles of the United Nations Charter, particularly Article 2(4), which states that nations must refrain from threats or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. Respect for these principles is essential for peace with justice.

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The Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson is president of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (photo courtesy of the United Church of Christ).

Church leaders highlighted the ongoing need for prophetic witness and solidarity. WCRC President, the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, stressed that faith communities must counter disinformation and dehumanizing narratives, particularly when Venezuela is portrayed as a “dead country.” Such language, she said, communicates despair rather than hope and obscures the lived reality of communities who continue to resist, organize, and seek life amid hardship. “Standing in solidarity with Venezuelan siblings is both an act of compassion and a strategy for truth-telling, awareness, and action,” Thompson said.

The Rev. María Jiménez de Ramírez, executive secretary of the Synod of the Iglesia Presbiteriana de Venezuela, also known as the Presbyterian Church of Venezuela, described the lived experience of communities as marked by anger, confusion, anguish, and indignation. She said that while the Gospel proclaims light, hope, and peace, these can only be meaningful where justice is present. Rising fuel prices, daily uncertainty, and confusion about unfolding events make it critical that churches inform communities, resist fear, and ensure that people feel seen and supported.

Eyewitness accounts underscore the realities of fear and resilience. Berla Andrade from the Presbyterian Church of Venezuela recounted life near Caracas, hearing bombings and helicopters while the ground shook. “The pastoral embrace of the church becomes essential,” she said. Solidarity from churches around the world, she added, has strengthened communities’ resolve to organize, resist despair, and feel part of a wider body beyond Venezuela’s borders.

The WCRC notes that these challenges are not unique to Venezuela. We are reminded that imperial systems that prioritize occupation, domination, control of resources, and the preservation of global privilege over human dignity are theological and moral challenges. They are not neutral, and faith communities are called to name, resist, and transform them.

The WCRC calls on governments and international actors to renounce coercive strategies and pursue dialogue and multilateral solutions grounded in international law. Churches worldwide are urged to continue countering disinformation, amplifying the voices of those most affected, accompanying communities pastorally, and bearing prophetic witness to God’s justice.

In solidarity with Reformed churches in Venezuela and all who suffer fear, displacement, and uncertainty, the WCRC commits itself to prayer, advocacy, and concrete action for peace with justice. It further calls for long-lasting ecumenical solidarity with the churches and people of Venezuela. It asserts that true security cannot be built through domination, nor peace secured through control of nations or resources, but only through justice, truth, and steadfast love — the love that binds all people together in Christ.

The World Communion of Reformed Churches includes more than 230 member churches, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), in 109 countries. Learn more here.