Venezuelan Leader María Corina Machado Meets Pope Leo XIV, Seeks Support for Democratic Transition

Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Seeks Pope Leo XIV’s Help on Political Prisoners and Venezuela’s Future.

Vatican City — Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado met privately with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Monday, urging him to intercede for the release of hundreds of political prisoners in Venezuela. The audience was not originally listed among the Pope’s planned appointments but was later included in the Vatican’s daily bulletin without additional details.

Machado, who re‑emerged publicly in December after 11 months in hiding to receive her Nobel Prize in Norway, is currently on a tour of Europe and the United States. After the meeting, she said she was grateful for the Pope’s ongoing concern for her country and pressed him to support Venezuelans “kidnapped and disappeared” amid the nation’s political turmoil.

She also held talks with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, a former papal nuncio to Venezuela.

Context: Crisis in Venezuela and International Attention

Pope Leo XIV has expressed deep concern over developments in Venezuela, urging respect for human and civil rights as the country faces a continuing political crisis. His remarks came after US forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro, who is now in the United States facing federal drug‑trafficking charges. The Pope has called for Venezuela’s sovereignty and a peaceful future for its people.

Machado’s opposition movement, supported at times by multiple US administrations, has long sought to restore democratic governance. However, political progress has been complicated by shifting international dynamics and internal divisions.

Machado’s International Outreach

After winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 for her advocacy and resistance to authoritarian rule, Machado made headlines again for her engagement with global leaders. As part of her current tour, she is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump, whom she has publicly praised for actions against the Maduro regime — even expressing a symbolic desire to share her Nobel Prize with him, though the Norwegian Nobel Institute has clarified that the award cannot be transferred or shared.

Machado’s efforts underscore her continued push for international support in pushing towards democratic transition and justice for political detainees as Venezuela remains mired in conflict and uncertainty.