Thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, over the weekend as tensions in the Latin American country continue to rise. At least three activists have been killed so far, dozens injured and many more arrested.

The demonstrators are upset with leftist President Nicolás Maduro’s failure to control rising inflation and crime rates, and with shortages of basic goods afflicting the country.

“This is David versus Goliath,” said one opposition organizer. “We are fighting a very corrupt authoritarian government that uses all the power, all the money, all the media, all the laws, all the judicial system in order to maintain control.”

The protests are the largest since last April, when many accused Maduro of having bypassed Venezuela’s constitution in order to become president following the death of longtime leader Hugo Chávez. Some analysts said the vote was rigged, and that Maduro may well have lost that election to opposition leader Henrique Capriles. Maduro denied those allegations, claimed a wafer-thin victory margin of 1.6 percent, and refused to allow a recount.

Amid the intensifying protests last week, Maduro banned demonstrations and vowed that he will not be overthrown. But as tensions climb to a fever pitch, it is increasingly difficult to dismiss them. If Maduro is ousted, it could equate to a significant victory for one party that at first glance may not seem connected to the situation: the Catholic Church.

The headquarters of the Catholic Church is in Europe. Yet it is not Europe but Latin America—incorporating Mexico, the Central American isthmus and the continent of South America—which constitutes the most catholicized landmass in the world. No continent is more aligned with the Vatican than Latin America. Yet Venezuela—under Chávez and Maduro—has in many ways been the exception.

During his 14-year presidency, Hugo Chávez distanced the Venezuelan government from the Vatican by often squabbling with the country’s conservative Catholic hierarchy. Chávez also closely cooperated with nations like Russia, China and Iran—usually to the detriment of Venezuela’s ties to Europe. Because of these moves, many in the Vatican came to view Chávez as a dangerous man and expressed deep concern over Venezuela’s priorities.

Although Maduro visited Pope Francis back in June, he seems for the most part to be following in Chávez’s footsteps.

But if Capriles, a self-described devout Catholic, comes to power, then the breach between the Vatican and Venezuela could be rapidly healed. Capriles was educated at the Catholic University in Caracas, and has said that the first items on his agenda, if he ever becomes president, will be to pay homage to the Virgin Mary, repeal Venezuela’s weapons deals with Russia, and bring an end to the nation’s robust relationship with Iran.

Such policies in Venezuela would no doubt greatly please Pope Francis and the EU.

In November, Capriles held a meeting with Pope Francis to ask him to mediate in Venezuela’s tumultuous internal politics. “This is a government that feeds off fear, hatred and lies, and aims to make all Venezuelans live in darkness and division,” Capriles told the pope.

The Trumpet and our forerunner magazine, the Plain Truth, have long pointed out Bible prophecies indicating that Europe and Latin America will draw especially near each other in the time just before Christ’s return—cemented together by the Roman Catholic religion, not to mention the Spanish language they share. The protests now underway in Venezuela could lead to another key step in that cooperation.

To understand the significance of Europe’s inroads into Latin America, read “Europe’s Latin Assault.”