Venezuela's bishops have blamed supporters of President Hugo Chavez over a tear gas attack on the Holy See's diplomatic mission in Caracas. Associated Press reports that unidentified attackers hurled tear gas canisters at the Vatican mission, at university students and at the home of a media executive on Monday, in the latest in a series of attacks against critics of President Chavez.
Archbishop Roberto Luckert, vice president of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, told Caracas based Union Radio that at least five tear gas canisters were thrown at the Vatican's mission in Caracas around dawn on Monday.
Separate attacks also targeted a gathering of students at the Central University of Venezuela and the home of Marcel Granier, director of a television channel noted for its criticism of Chavez.
Luckert said nobody was hurt in the attack on the mission, which he blamed on a pro-Chavez group calling itself "La Piedrita," which has claimed responsibility for past tear gas attacks against Chavez foes.
"They are trying to scare anyone who dissents," he said.
Chavez has sharply criticised representatives of Venezuela's Catholic Church for opposing proposed constitutional changes that would lift term limits for all elected officials, including Chavez.
Nobody was hurt in the attack at the university, but the gas scattered the students.
CNN notes the nunciature has been giving asylum since June to Nixon Moreno, a Venezuelan student leader accused of attempting to rape a policewoman and wounding several police officers in a 2006 shootout. Venezuela has not granted Moreno safe passage to leave the country.Moreno's lawyer stood in front of the building on Monday and angrily criticised the Venezuelan government after the tear gas attack. She said the canisters were manufactured by a company that supplies the Venezuelan military.
"We demand a response from the federal government," attorney Tamara Suju said in a news conference carried by Globovision. "We demand a response from the minister of justice."
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(Source: CTHN)