Pope Leo XIV met with Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado on January 12, 2024, in a private meeting at the Vatican. The Vatican confirmed the encounter, yet provided few details regarding the discussions. This meeting was unexpectedly added to the pope’s schedule, which had not mentioned it in prior announcements.
The meeting holds significance in light of the ongoing political turmoil in Venezuela. Pope Leo XIV, the first pope from the United States, has previously voiced his support for Venezuela’s sovereignty, particularly following the controversial capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces under the direction of former President Donald Trump.
In a recent foreign policy speech, the pope criticized military interventions as a means to achieve diplomatic ends. He emphasized the necessity of protecting human rights within Venezuela, a country facing significant challenges under Maduro’s administration.
Maria Corina Machado, a former member of Venezuela’s National Assembly, has encountered considerable obstacles in her political career. The Venezuelan government, aligned with Maduro, barred her from participating in the upcoming 2024 general election. In defiance of this setback, she has endorsed a substitute candidate whom many observers believe won the election, despite Maduro’s claims of victory. Independent audits of the ballots revealed significant discrepancies in the official results, raising questions about the legitimacy of the election process.
This meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Machado underscores the Vatican’s interest in the evolving political landscape in Venezuela. As the situation continues to develop, the pope’s role as a mediator and advocate for human rights may gain heightened importance on the international stage.