U.S. Missions Workers Ordered from Venezuela Take Wait-and-See Approach
by Allie Martin and Jenni Parker
November 2, 2005
(AgapePress) - - A representative of New Tribes Mission (NTM) says the ministry's workers in Venezuela are praying that they can continue working among that nation's indigenous tribes, despite the fact that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said weeks ago that he was kicking the Christian mission out of his country.At that time Chavez accused NTM of having links to America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and also of engaging in "imperialist infiltration," making unauthorized flights, setting up luxurious camps amidst poverty, and exploiting indigenous communities. The president ordered the group to leave Venezuela, but as yet he has not acted on his threat to expel the missionaries.
New Tribes currently has about 160 missionaries in Venezuela. Founded in 1942, the Florida-based ministry specializes in evangelism among indigenous groups and has 3,200 workers worldwide in 17 nations.
Nita Zelenak, a spokeswoman for the mission, says NTM Venezuela's workers have remained in waiting mode over the weeks since Chavez announced his expulsion order. In the interim, she notes, "There's been no official decree signed, no official word from the president with regards to what he wants New Tribes to do, other than what he said in his speech."
Back in August Christian Broadcast Network founder Pat Robertson made comments on his 700 Club TV program suggesting that the U.S. should assassinate Chavez in order to prevent his country from becoming "a launching pad for communist influence and Muslim extremism." Robertson later apologized for the statement, saying he spoke in frustration over the U.S. policy of accommodating the Venezuelan official.
However, Chavez and other government officials have expressed dissatisfaction with U.S. authorities' response to the incident, saying the Christian broadcaster's statement was a criminal act that "demands the strongest condemnation by the White House." Meanwhile, Venezuela has stopped granting visas for foreign missionaries, and Chavez has called for New Tribes' workers to "gather their stuff," vowing in a speech that the missionaries are "going from here, every last corner."
In the weeks since Chavez ordered them out of the country, Zelenak says the Florida-based ministry's workers have been trying to make their case through the media. "The missionaries there in Venezuela have been doing the best that they can to get the word out as far as to what the truth is," she asserts. Their aim is "to clarify any misunderstandings that there are about the work that New Tribes does in Venezuela," she explains, "so they've done radio interviews and television interviews."
Zelenak denies that New Tribes Mission is tied to the CIA or in any way engaged in political activity in Venezuela, and she also refutes the other charges President Chavez has leveled against the group. The ministry spokeswoman says NTM Venezuela leaders are still seeking an audience with Chavez and are inviting the government's further investigation into the work the ministry is doing in the country.
Natives Voice Support for Christian Missionaries
New Tribes supporters say the missionaries have brought much-needed medical and educational assistance and other aid to impoverished indigenous communities that have long been neglected by Venezuelan authorities. Recently, hundreds of members of these very communities themselves came forward to make their support for the foreign mission organization a matter of public record.
On October 28, nearly 3,000 indigenous people representing ten tribes gathered in Puerto Ayachucho, Venezuela, to rally in support of the foreign mission organization. One tribal spokesman, José Cayupares, said the purpose of the demonstration was to state to the Venezuelan authorities "that we do not share in the October 12 decision of President Chavez."
The Puinave tribe member went on to point out that the indigenous people gathered at the rally for New Tribes were not trying to pit themselves against the government, but only to stand up for the truth. "We have voted for President Chavez, and we are thankful for all that he has done for the tribal people," Cayupares said, "but we are not in agreement with this decision because we believe that it is based on a lie."
While the tense situation between the mission agency and the government plays out, New Tribes is urging Christians to pray that the NTM Venezuela leaders and missionaries will have wisdom in addressing the expulsion issue and that tribal believers will continue to grow stronger in their faith.
