The Vatican has been asked to resolve the issues in Venezuela through mediation. This is not the first time the Vatican has served as the neutral third party in a mediation and it is considered a highly respected mediator throughout the world.

The dispute began as a result of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s unorthodox techniques. Now, there are calls throughout the country for his impeachment. The Vatican recently announced Maduro’s government and leaders to the opposition have agreed to participate in talks. The Vatican has sent a team, including the Pope and the Argentinian Archbishop Monsignor Emir Paul Tscherring to Venezuela. According to Tscherring, “… the objective of the dialogues is to look for agreeance, to create an atmosphere of trust, overcome disagreement, and promote a mechanism that guarantees peaceful coexistence.”

This has been the goal of international leaders for month, with little success. Leaders have been meeting with both sides in an attempt to begin a conversation about the Issues Maduro’s administration has created. Attempts at mediation, including one led by Spain’s former president Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, have already failed.

Venezuela is a sharply divided nation and is currently in the midst of the worst recession in memory. There have been numerous violent protests and ongoing calls for the impeachment of Maduro. The court system is primarily filled with Maduro supporters, so it’s unlikely any attempts at impeachment will amount to much. There was a recall referendum in progress that was suddenly halted, which led to further protests, which then led to a group of government supporters storming the Venezuelan National Assembly Building.