Venezuela Catholic Church: Maduro turning country into dictatorship

"This assembly will be imposed by force and its result will be that constitutional status will be given to a military, socialist, Marxist and communist dictatorship," said Monsignor Padrón. The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, which gathers the country's bishops, considered Mr Maduro's proposed popular assembly "unnecessary and inconvenient," he added. He also criticised the attack against members of the opposition-held National Assembly by government supporters on Wednesday.Several lawmakers were beaten up by intruders brandishing sticks and pipes. "This attack shows that the government is unwilling to abandon violence," said Mosignor Padrón, who has several times in the past criticised the government of Nicolás Maduro. More…