Pope Leo XIV held a surprise private audience with Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado at the Vatican; the meeting was later noted in the Vatican bulletin but no details were released. Machado resurfaced in December after 11 months in hiding to accept her Nobel and is touring Europe and the U.S. The encounter comes amid international attention on Venezuela following reports that U.S. forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro and moved him to New York on federal charges. The pope said he followed events with deep concern and urged protection of human and civil rights.
Surprise Vatican Audience: Pope Leo XIV Meets Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado
This image released by Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV meeting with Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado of Venezuela, right, inside his private library at the Vatican, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Pope Leo XIV held a private audience on Monday with Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado at the Vatican. The meeting was not on the pontiff's publicly posted schedule and was later recorded without further detail in the Vatican's daily bulletin.
This image released by Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV meeting with Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado of Venezuela, right, inside his private library at the Vatican, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Machado, who reemerged in December after spending 11 months in hiding to travel to Norway and accept the Nobel Peace Prize, is currently touring Europe and the United States.
This image released by Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV meeting with Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado of Venezuela, right, inside his private library at the Vatican, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The meeting comes amid heightened international attention on Venezuela. According to multiple reports, U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at his Caracas compound and transferred him to New York to face federal drug‑trafficking charges.
FILE - Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures to supporters during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro the day before his inauguration for a third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, file)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“I am following the developments in Venezuela with deep concern,”the pope said, urging protection of human and civil rights across the Latin American nation.
For years, Venezuela’s opposition—backed at various times by both Republican and Democratic U.S. administrations—vowed to replace Maduro and restore democratic governance in the oil‑rich country. The political landscape shifted, according to reporting, when U.S. President Donald Trump allowed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume control. Many opposition figures, including Machado, remain in exile or prison.
After winning the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, Machado publicly dedicated the award to the people of Venezuela and said she would like to give or share the prize with President Trump. The Norwegian Nobel Institute, which administers the award, responded that once a prize is announced it cannot be revoked, transferred or reallocated:
“The decision is final and stands for all time.”
The Vatican provided no additional details about the private audience. Observers note that a meeting between the pope and a high-profile opposition figure is likely to draw diplomatic attention and scrutiny given the ongoing international debate over Venezuela’s future.
Help us improve.
