Pope Leo XIV met privately at the Vatican on Monday with Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado. The meeting was not previously listed among the pope’s planned appointments, but it later appeared in the Vatican’s daily bulletin without additional details.
Machado on international tour after Nobel appearance
Machado is traveling in Europe and the United States after reemerging in December to accept her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway.
Pope cites concern for Venezuela after Maduro’s capture
Leo, the first American pontiff, has said Venezuela should remain an independent country following the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces and his transfer to New York to face federal drug-trafficking charges. Leo has said he is following developments with “deep concern” and has urged the protection of human and civil rights in Venezuela.
Missing Oklahoma Boy Found Safe After Dayslong Search
Opposition shaken as Trump backs Maduro ally to take control
Venezuela’s opposition—supported by successive Republican and Democratic U.S. administrations—had long vowed to replace Maduro and restore democracy. That effort was dealt a major setback when President Donald Trump allowed Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control, while many opposition leaders, including Machado, remain in exile or prison.
Machado links the Nobel Prize to Trump
After winning the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, Machado said she would like to give or share it with Trump. She dedicated the prize to Trump and to the people of Venezuela shortly after the award was announced, as Trump has publicly campaigned for a Nobel Prize since returning to office.
Sources:
Reuters / Pope Leo meets with Venezuelan opposition leader Machado at Vatican
ABC News (AP wire) / Pope Leo XIV meets with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado
