VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Monday, January 12, received Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, in a private Audience at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. The meeting, which was added to the Holy See’s daily bulletin, comes at a critical moment for Venezuela and follows Ms. Machado’s recent Nobel Peace Prize recognition in Oslo last October.
Ms. Machado, a former member of the Venezuelan National Assembly and head of the opposition partyVente Venezuela, was living in exile when she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize. During her visit to the Vatican, she appealed to Pope Leo XIV to intercede for the release of political prisoners and to support a peaceful and democratic transition in her country.
According to statements released following the meeting, she expressed gratitude for the Pope’s concern for Venezuela and conveyed the steadfast prayer of the Venezuelan people for freedom and justice.
The Audience occurred amid ongoing political turmoil in Venezuela. Former President Nicolás Maduro was captured earlier this month by U.S. forces and is facing federal charges in the United States, while his former Vice-President, Delcy Rodríguez, has assumed interim leadership. Ms. Machado is also expected to travel to Washington, D.C., this week to meet with U.S. officials.
In his recent public appeals, Pope Leo XIV has voiced deep concern over the situation in Venezuela. In his Angelus address on January 4, he urged that “the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration,” and called for the pursuit of justice and peace, respect for human and civil rights, and a future of harmony with special attention to the poorest who suffer most in times of crisis.
The Holy Father reiterated these calls on January 9 during his address to the Diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, where he encouraged efforts to build “a society founded on justice, truth, freedom and fraternity” that would enable Venezuela to rise from years of hardship. He emphasised the importance of respecting the will of the Venezuelan people and safeguarding the rights of all citizens as essential to achieving lasting stability and concord.
Credit: Vatican News Letter via Catholic News Agency
