The Venezuelan Solidarity Campaign (VSC) has appealed to U2 singer Bono, as an investor in Pandemic Studios, to help stop the production Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.

The game is set in Venezuela and is cutting close to the bone as players take on a political tyrant who has taken control of the oil industry. Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez, has already commented on the concept as "psychological warfare".

The VSC has also tried to enlist the help of the Church by writing an open letter but is principally interested in Bono, who is one of six members of Elevation Partners which recently invested $300 million in Pandemic.

A spokesperson commented, "We hope that his history of involvement in justice issues such as debt and famine relief will sensitise him to the problems with this game".

Campaigners say that Pandemic has previously been subcontracted by the US army to make training games and that, "The aim of Mercenaries 2 is full devastation, so any person who moves should be shot, and all the buildings, such as the headquarters of PDVSA, the Venezuelan public oil company, can be destroyed".

"Our concern is that this game will only deepen an already antagonistic relationship between the US and Venezuelan governments. Millions of Venezuelans fear an invasion from the US; knowing that a company that works for the US military has created a game in which their country is completely destroyed will increase those concerns."

Pandemic co-founder Josh Resnick has absolved himself of responsibility by commenting that Mercenaries 2 is "just a videogame", and claiming that none the characters are "based on any real political figures".

>> Link - Official Site/Pandemic Studios
>> Link - Official Site/EA
>> Link - Official Site/Mercenaries 2