Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV on Monday received Venezuelan politician and human rights activist Maria Corina Machado at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The meeting took place at the end of a morning filled with official audiences.
Machado, a former member of Venezuela’s National Assembly and leader of the opposition party Vente Venezuela, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2025 for her long standing commitment to democracy and human rights. She was forced to leave her country and travelled to Oslo in December to receive the award.
The meeting comes at a tense moment for Venezuela. It was held about ten days after the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores during a United States military operation in Caracas on January 3. Maduro, who faces accusations including drug trafficking and narco terrorism, is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Following the operation, Venezuela is being governed on an interim basis by Delcy Rodríguez, while international efforts continue to support a political transition. In recent days, several political prisoners have reportedly been released. Machado is also expected to travel to Washington this week for talks with President Donald Trump.
Pope Leo has repeatedly expressed deep concern over the situation in Venezuela. Speaking during the Angelus on January 4, a day after the capture of Maduro, he said the good of the Venezuelan people must come before all other interests. He called for an end to violence and urged the pursuit of justice and peace, with full respect for the country’s sovereignty.
Pope also stressed the need to protect the human and civil rights of every person and to work together for a peaceful future marked by cooperation, stability and care for the poorest, who continue to suffer because of the economic crisis.
He repeated this appeal on January 9 during a meeting with diplomats accredited to the Holy See. Referring again to Venezuela, Pope Leo urged efforts to build a society based on justice, truth, freedom and fraternity, and called for respect for the will of the Venezuelan people and the rights of all citizens, as the nation seeks a path toward stability and harmony.