(OSV News) — Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado asked for Pope Leo XIV’s help in securing the release of political prisoners in the country following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The Vatican announced the meeting on January 12, which took place in the library of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, but gave no details.

However, in a statement published on X by the Venezuelan political opposition coalition, Comando con Venezuela, Machado said she sought the pope’s help in seeking the release of more than 1,000 political prisoners “and for an immediate transition to democracy.”

“Today, I had the blessing and honor of being able to share with His Holiness and express our gratitude for his monitoring of events in our country,” Machado said. “I also conveyed to him the strength of the Venezuelan people, who remain firm and in prayer for Venezuela’s freedom, and I asked him to intercede for all Venezuelans who remain kidnapped and missing.” 

According to the statement, the opposition leader reiterated to the pope that the will of the Venezuelan people was seen in their electing Edmundo González, whose victory in the 2024 election was overturned by the Venezuelan election authority, which was loyal to Maduro. 

“Machado highlighted the spiritual struggle Venezuelans have faced for years and said that finally, with the accompaniment of the Church and unprecedented pressure from the U.S. government, the ‘defeat of evil’ in the country is drawing near,” the statement read. 

Comando con Venezuela said that Machado also met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, after she met with the Pope. 

Pope expresses concern over U.S. military presence 

The Pope’s meeting with the opposition leader comes just over a week after Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured on January 3 in a U.S. military operation ordered by President Donald Trump. 

Maduro and his wife were transported to New York, where they are currently facing narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. 

After Maduro’s capture, Pope Leo expressed concerns over the United States’ increasing military presence in the Caribbean and called for “the common good of the peoples” to be placed above “partisan interests.” 

“In this regard, I renew my appeal to respect the will of the Venezuelan people and to safeguard the human and civil rights of all, ensuring a future of stability and concord,” the pope said January 9 during a meeting with members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Vatican. 

At a January 8 briefing at the Vatican press office, Colombian Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio of Bogota told journalists the situation in Venezuela was on the mind of the cardinals attending the extraordinary consistory January 7-8. 

“We carry it in our hearts; we suffer through it; it pains us all,” he said. Cardinal Rueda said the Pope had also shown great concern for Venezuela and has made “a consistent effort to invite parties toward the paths of dialogue and consensus. He is calling for peace; he is calling to truly build peace.” 

“He wants nations to come together with respect for human rights, sovereignty, and the self-determination of their own people to find answers to the problems currently being experienced,” the cardinal added. 

Trump backs Maduro’s vice president instead of Machado 

While some believed Machado, a former member of Venezuela’s national assembly, would receive U.S. support to govern the ailing country after Maduro’s capture, President Trump said she lacked support in Venezuela and instead backed Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s vice president, as acting president. 

According to Reuters, the White House criticized the Nobel Committee’s choice of Machado over President Trump, who has publicly coveted the award. Machado, who dedicated the award to President Trump and the people of Venezuela, offered to give her award to President Trump in gratitude for Maduro’s capture. 

However, in a rare statement, the Norwegian Nobel Institute announced that the Nobel Prize could not be shared or transferred to another person, as reported by Reuters. 

In an interview with Fox News, President Trump said he would be meeting with Machado in the coming days, according to Reuters.

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Junno Arocho Esteves is an international correspondent for OSV News. Follow him on X.