Vatican City, Jan 4, 2026 / 06:51 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV expressed deep concern over the situation in Venezuela and called for the country’s national sovereignty to be fully respected, one day after a U.S. operation ended with the capture and arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
“With a heart full of concern I follow the evolution of the situation in Venezuela,” the pope said, underscoring that “the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail above any other consideration.”
At the end of the Angelus, Pope Leo XIV spoke about the situation in Venezuela, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States under President Donald Trump. “With a heart full of concern I follow the developments… the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must… pic.twitter.com/81BlY0Sv4A
— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) January 4, 2026
Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the recitation of the Angelus, Leo XIV insisted on the need to “overcome violence” and called for “embarking on paths of justice and peace, guaranteeing the country’s sovereignty.”
The Holy Father also pointed to the importance of “ensuring the rule of law enshrined in the Constitution” and of “respecting the human and civil rights of each and every person.”
He further urged working together to “build a serene future of collaboration, stability, and concordia.”
The pontiff emphasized that this effort must be carried out “with special attention to the poorest, who suffer because of the difficult economic situation.”
Finally, the pope invited Catholics to unite in prayer for Venezuela, entrusting this intention “to the intercession of Our Lady of Coromoto and of Saints José Gregorio Hernández and Sister Carmen Rendiles,” canonized last year.
The pope’s remarks come at a moment of maximum political and international tension for Venezuela following the capture of President Maduro and his wife, and Maduro’s imminent prosecution on U.S. soil on drug trafficking charges.
Hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said a second wave of attacks was planned if forces in the country offered resistance. “We are going to govern Venezuela until there is a safe transition,” he said at a press conference.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice has ordered that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assume the presidency due to Maduro’s “forced absence.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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Corruption runs deep…. The poor suffered greatly under the dictatorship… Let us pray for their safety and freedom….even their courts are corrupt… The nobel prize winning candidate should be installed as the rightful leader…
Pope Leo ought to keep the Catholic Church out of politics. He has enough on his hands trying to keep homosexuals out of the clergy.
“Ensuring the rule of law enshrined in the Constitution….”
What on earth does that purport to mean?
What is the motivation for this statement by the Pontiff Leo? Are Maduro’s militia threatening Catholics in Venezuela? Or is this just some incense from the Vatican Secretariat of State, in brief intermission at a New Year’s soirée with their handlers in the CCP?
The author of this article repeatedly and falsely referred to the criminal dictator Maduro as ” President”. He is not the President. Open and fair elections took place approximately 1.5 years ago and Maduro lost by not a slim margin. He refused to step down and tightened his illegal control by careful selection of his illegal government officials ( note his VP Delce Rodriguez) and strong arming his military. No one in his handpicked regime should be allowed to ever hold office again. They are all complicit in his widespread criminal acitivity including the fostering of foreign and domestic terrorist organizations in Venezuela, the U.S. and around the world. Note the poor who fled the country when he stole power are celebrating his capture and cheering the U.S.A. on. What our military did under the Trump administration was downright heroic. This could have been a very bloodied destructive attack but with many months of detailed planning and interdepartmental cooperation this came down swiftly and with minimal human and material loss. Compare to the suffering and losses inflicted on the Venezuelan people not to mention Americans and other foreign citizens due to Maduro’s massive drug smuggling. I’m tired of blaming victims of crime and offer no apology for our government actions to bring justice to where justice was not and evil to where evil belongs. I pray for all victims of human violence and injustice. Pray for the people of Venezuela and I pray for Maria Corina Machado that she will ultimately lead her country as the rightfully elected President of her country.
The evil empire–that is, the USA–strikes again.
Take heart, Venezuelans, the USA will lose.
“Evil may have its hour, but the Lord has his day!”–Fulton Sheen