The delegation was in Rome to solicit the support of the Italian government in recognizing Guaido as interim president of Venezuela.

“As long as there is a dictatorship in Venezuela, it is better not to return,” said Alexander. “I feel that there is an illegitimate government, a power that literally controls everything, but also an opposition that has defrauded the people many times.”

On Feb. 2, Santos Gaspar Romero Galdamez, the younger brother of Salvadoran Archbishop St. Oscar Romero, died in San Salvador, El Salvador.

During a 45-minute press conference on the flight from Abu Dhabi to Rome, Pope Francis answered questions about whether the Holy See would be ready to act as a mediator to avoid a civil war in Venezuela, the problem of the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy in the Catholic Church and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Mexico's call for a summit is the latest twist in a crisis that continues to divide the world after Venezuela’s embattled socialist president, Nicolás Maduro, was sworn in for a second term.

The tragedy raises anew the question: Is Brazil capable of pursuing economic development while responsibly caring for its environment?