Religious groups that criticized the government were subject to harassment and intimidation. Government actions limited the use of religious sites by some members of religious groups. There were instances of anti-Semitism in government-controlled media, particularly related to opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski, a practicing Catholic of Jewish ancestry.
On February 15, President Chavez described Capriles as a “pig,” saying that “one of my tasks…will be to take away the mask…because, as hard as you try to disguise yourself…you have the tail of a pig, you have the ears of a pig, and you snort like a pig, you are a pig.” Some in the Jewish community saw this as a thinly veiled anti-Semitic attack.
On May 31, the government-sponsored newspaper Diario Vea published an article containing a fictional poll of historical figures who would have supported Capriles. The list included Caiaphas, “the high priest of the court that condemned Christ,” whom the article said came from “the same stench” as Capriles, and Hitler, who shared “the same ideology” as Capriles.
Jewish community leaders publicly expressed concern about government support for anti-Semitic expressions in government-controlled media. For example, on February 13, the government-owned National Radio of Venezuela website published an article, “The Enemy is Zionism: Misleading Electoral Promise Leading to Disaster,” which claimed that Zionism was an “ideology of terror” that “threatens the destruction of the planet we inhabit.” This report was part of a smear campaign against opposition candidate Henrique Capriles, using anti-Semitism as a political tool to cast Capriles as a fascist and label him a secret follower of Zionism, which it called “the most rotten sentiments represented by humanity.”
On October 10, a district-level court sentenced a defendant to eight years and nine months in prison for participation in the 2009 vandalism and desecration of the Tiferet Israel synagogue in Caracas. Seven out of a total of 11 defendants have received prison sentences for the crime. The trial of the four remaining defendants continued at year’s end. The defendants were accused of conspiracy, aggravated theft, concealing weapons, religious disrespect, and embezzlement.
Religious groups were concerned by government inquiries into the use of their property and schools. Religious groups perceived this government interest as a potential precursor to government expropriation of their lands or facilities.
People displaced by 2011 flooding forcibly occupied Mormon chapels in Ocumare del Tuy and La Grita with government support. The chapel in Ocumare del Tuy was still being used as a school at year’s end even though the displaced persons were relocated, and church members did not have access to the property. At year’s end, displaced persons still occupied the property in La Grita, but religious services were allowed on Sundays for local members.
All registered religious groups were eligible for funding to support religious social services, but most funding went to Catholic groups. The government continued to provide annual subsidies to Catholic schools and social programs helping the poor. The government continued to approve funding for the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Venezuela at levels reduced from previous years, but did not disburse funds during the year. Other religious groups were free to establish their own schools but did not receive government subsidies.