«We are a country of all races («Todas las sangres» ed), multi-ethnic and multicultural, where there is room for everyone and we all have to work for a dignified life, based on interculturality, full social integration, we are a country with an immense geography, varied and rich, of which we must know how to manage wealth, giving priority to the needs of the poorest and marginalized.»
This is the message of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, issued at the end of its 114th plenary assembly which concluded a few days ago. The text, sent to Fides News Agency, launches an appeal to the national community on the social reality and the political crisis in the country. The text of the bishops cites «Todas las sangres», by Peruvian writer José María Arguedas published in 1964. The well-known novel aims to photograph Peruvian life, with representations of the geographical and social scenarios of all the country. The title refers to the racial, regional and cultural variety of the Peruvian nation.
«In this variety, which is not exempt from forms of cultural, ethnic and socio-economic discrimination, there is a prospect of hope that bets on the processes of integration and on the construction of the Peruvian identity, based on strengthening the identities that make up our homeland,» read the message.
«The seriousness of cases of corruption continues to be shocking. However – the message continues – our hope is encouraged by the progress made in the processes of combating this social virus. The relationship between legal and economic security, required by large investments, such as those in the mining sector, and the environmental needs that favor agriculture and the security of vulnerable populations appear problematic.»
«We are equally concerned about the Amazon, a source of life that covers two-thirds of our national territory; its great biodiversity and the indigenous populations that inhabit it must be taken care of,» said the Bishops.
The Bishops want «to remember the responsibility of the State to guarantee cohesion, unity and organization towards civil society». This is why they call for «the responsibility and solidarity of every social sector in this moment … The Church will continue to walk alongside its people, sharing their destiny to succeed in making a better Peru, for everyone», concluded the text.
