Pope Leo XIV meets Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the Vatican on Jan. 12, 2026. / Credit: Vatican Media.
Vatican City, Jan 12, 2026 / 06:50 am (CNA).
PopeLeoXIVmetwithVenezuelanoppositionleaderMaríaCorinaMachadoattheVaticanonMonday,inanaudiencethatwasnotinitiallyincludedintheofficialschedulefortheday.
Themeetingwasaddedtothepontiff’sagendaintheHolySee’s12:00p.m.newsbulletin.TheVaticanhasnotreleasedanydetailsabouttheaudience.
Machado,oneoftheleadingfiguresoftheVenezuelanopposition,hasbeenaprominentvoiceindenouncingtheinstitutional,economic,andhumanitariancrisisfacingthecountry.
TheVenezuelanpolitician,whoreceivedtheNobelPeacePrizeinDecember,isalsoexpectedtomeetwithU.S.PresidentDonaldTrumpthisweek.
NicolásMaduroisbeingheldinaNewYorkprisonafterappearingbeforeafederaljudgeonvariouschargesrelatedtodrugtraffickingandterrorismfollowinghiscapturebytheU.S.militaryintheearlyhoursofJan.3.
DelcyRodríguez,formervicepresidentofVenezuela,hasassumedtheinterimpresidencyofthecountryfollowingMadur
