Church leaders write heads of state about Latin American problems

Published: 2008-05-19

LIMA, Peru (CNS) -- In a letter to heads of state from Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union, Latin America's Catholic bishops called attention to a myriad of problems that plague their region. The church leaders spoke of poverty, exclusion, income gaps, unemployment, poor education and health services, migration and environmental problems. "These problems are leading the continent to serious conflicts that could jeopardize not only peace, but political stability because of the weakness of the region's democratic systems," the bishops wrote. Focusing on the main themes -- poverty and climate change -- of a mid-May summit in Lima, the bishops warned of the negative effects of "asymmetries in trade relations and in the negotiation of association agreements," as well as the effects of climate change "to which Latin America and the Caribbean are particularly vulnerable, and where the poor and excluded are the ones who are most affected." They also warned of the possible effects of "the indiscriminate production of agrofuels" on small farmers and the region's food security.

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