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María Corina Machado Meets Pope Leo Ahead of Trump Talks on Venezuela. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, highlighting the opposition’s claim to victory in the disputed 2024 election. Machado used the meeting to raise concerns about political prisoners and to press for international recognition of a democratic transition in Venezuela. The visit comes days before Machado is due to meet President Donald Trump in Washington, following the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro on narco-terrorism charges. While publicly welcoming Maduro’s arrest, opposition figures are privately alarmed that Washington is working with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez rather than the opposition. Machado argues that restoring democracy would help reverse Venezuela’s economic collapse and encourage millions of exiles to return home. The Vatican has emerged as a key interlocutor, urging caution and dialogue as global powers weigh Venezuela’s political future. After the meeting, Machado said she asked the pope to intercede for Venezuelans who are jailed or missing, calling the country’s liberation “closer.” Her Vatican visit underscores the opposition’s effort to block Maduro’s inner circle from retaining power and to secure moral and diplomatic backing abroad.
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