This is the first time María Corina Machado has publicly spoken about her meeting on January 12 with Pope Leo XIV. It came as a surprise to many that the first world leader Machado met with was the Pope.
MARÍA CORINA MACHADO
Nobel Peace Prize 2025
I am Catholic, as you know, and believe me, during my trip, I prayed a great deal.
Machado made these statements during her stay in the United States, where she awarded President Donald Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal.
MARÍA CORINA MACHADO
Nobel Peace Prize 2025
And it was a day that marked my life on a personal level. But I also had the reassurance, from the Holy Father, that he knows very well what is happening in Venezuela. He knows what the Catholic Church is going through because of the persecution and pressure against our bishops and priests. And I believe that he is not only concerned, but that he is actively helping and supporting efforts so that a process of peaceful transition may take place.
On the subject of Venezuela, the Holy See’s top diplomat recently admitted to information that had been revealed days earlier by The Washington Post regarding the Vatican's involvement in international affairs.
The newspaper reported that there was an emergency meeting between Parolin and the U.S. ambassador, Brian Burch, during which Parolin offered the alternative of asylum for Nicolás Maduro in Russia.
In his statements, the cardinal only confirmed what the U.S. outlet had published and said that a solution was sought ‘that would avoid any bloodshed,’ without explicitly mentioning Maduro’s route to Russia.
AT
Trans. CRT
