Pope Leo XIV meets with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado in a surprise audience

Pope Leo XIV Shocks with Secret Meeting with Venezuela's María Corina Machado

In a surprise move, Pope Leo XIV invited Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado to a private audience at the Vatican on Monday, fueling speculation about his growing concerns over the South American nation. The meeting came without prior notice, only to be later listed in the Vatican's daily bulletin, but no additional details were provided.

Machado had recently returned from hiding after an 11-month absence, where she accepted her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. As Machado travels Europe and the US, her meeting with Pope Leo has sparked renewed interest in the Vatican's stance on Venezuela's current turmoil.

The Pope, America's first-ever pontiff, expressed deep concern over the developments in Venezuela and called for the protection of human and civil rights in the Latin American country. This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump recently allowed Maduro's vice president to assume control, dealing a significant blow to opposition leader's plans for immediate regime change.

Venezuela's opposition had long vowed to replace Maduro with one of their own and restore democracy in the oil-rich nation. However, Trump's decision has shifted the balance of power, leaving many questioning the future of Venezuela under its current leadership.

The meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Machado highlights the growing global attention on Venezuela's precarious situation and the Vatican's efforts to maintain a neutral stance amidst the turmoil.

im surprised pope leo 14 is takin sides but i guess when u r american ur gotta care bout democracy & human rights lol. machado seems like good egg btw, she deserves all that recognition . trump's move is shady tho, Venezuela needs someone to stand up for them .

I'm not surprised about the Pope meeting with María Corina Machado, tbh. He's been pretty vocal about his concerns regarding human rights in Latin America, especially in countries like Venezuela where things have gotten really messy . It's interesting to see him taking a stand on this issue, but at the same time, I'm not sure if it'll make a huge difference . Trump's actions are just gonna keep shifting the balance of power in Venezuela, and it's hard to predict what'll happen next . Maybe the Pope can use his platform to bring some more attention to this situation and encourage people to talk about it? That'd be a start .

So I'm thinking Pope Leo XIV just had secret meeting with Maria Corina Machado, right? And it seems like he really cares about what's going on in Venezuela . I mean, the guy is all about human and civil rights now... but I wonder why he chose to have a private chat with her instead of just making an official statement or something . Maybe it's because he wants to show that he's still connected to the people, you know? And this comes at a time when Trump is basically letting Maduro take over... what a mess! The opposition is really counting on Machado and others like her to lead Venezuela out of this crisis, but with all the backroom deals happening, it's hard to predict what's gonna happen next .

omg what is pope leo 14 doing?? i mean i get it he cares about human rights but this surprise meeting with machado has me super intrigued she was hiding for like months and now shes at the vatican sipping tea with the pope lol what is the deal??

i also wonder why trump did that move on venezuela, didnt see that coming it just makes things more complicated. i guess we'll have to wait and see how this whole thing plays out... my mind is blown

OMG, have you seen that new Marvel movie with Zendaya? I swear, she's been in every superhero film lately. I need to catch up on my own Marvel marathon stat! And speaking of Venezuela, can we talk about how weird it is when world leaders think they're above the law? Like, what's up with Trump allowing Maduro's VP to take control? Shouldn't he be like "nope, no way" instead of going along with it? Anyway, I'm curious to know more about Machado and her Nobel Peace Prize win. She sounds super inspiring!

I mean this in no way, but its kinda weird that the Pope is suddenly showing concern for Venezuela now that Trump has thrown his weight behind Maduro. It feels like he's just trying to be seen as a peacemaker after America's been all over Venezuela's backside for years...

I'm loving this development... Pope Leo 14 is really stepping up his game, you feel? He's all about human rights and civil liberties, and I'm here for it . I mean, Venezuela has been through so much, and it's great to see the Vatican taking a stand on this. But at the same time, it's also kinda interesting that he met with María Corina Machado, who's basically the opposition leader there... is this gonna be a game-changer? I'm not sure what to make of Trump's move, but I do know that Venezuela needs all the help it can get right now. This meeting between Pope Leo and Machado might just be the boost they need .

Dude, what's up with this Pope Leo XIV? He's like totally stepping out of his comfort zone by having a secret meeting with María Corina Machado . I mean, I get it, Venezuela is a mess and all, but come on! It's about time someone from the Vatican shows some real leadership.

But seriously, this move could be seen as a bit suspicious, you know? Like, why keep it under wraps for so long? Maybe Pope Leo XIV just wants to make sure his words have some real weight behind them . Whatever the reason, one thing's for sure: Machado is taking full advantage of her new visibility and making the most of this meeting.

I'm curious to see how the Vatican's stance on Venezuela plays out from now on . Will they stick with their neutral ground or take a more active role in trying to mediate the situation? Time will tell, I guess!

I'm not buying that this is just about human rights in Venezuela... what's really going on? The Pope is always so secretive, it's like he's hiding something . And why did he invite her without warning? It's not like they're BFFs or anything. This feels like some kind of PR stunt to me . I mean, I get it, the Vatican needs to stay neutral in all this, but come on, be more transparent! The fact that he called for regime change is a pretty big statement too... what's his beef with Maduro?

just heard about pope leo xiv meetin with venezuela's María Corina Machado... really bad news, dude . venezuela's in shambles, people dyin, and now we got trump lettin maduro's VP run the show? no thanks... think pope leo's gettin a bit too close to reality for comfort. 11 months of hidin, machado just gets invited to vatican without warnin? that's sus... and what's the point of all this if trump's just gonna mess it up again?

I'm kinda surprised about this secret meeting between Pope Leo XIV and María Corina Machado, you know? It feels like the Vatican is trying to stay out of it, but at the same time, they're showing some concern for Venezuela's situation. Like, it's not just about politics or whatever - it's about people's lives, right?

And I'm wondering what this means for the future of Venezuela and its opposition. It seems like Trump's decision has kinda screwed them over, but then again, maybe the Vatican is trying to keep things calm and stuff. Either way, it's good to see that Pope Leo XIV is taking a stand on human rights and all that. Maybe he can help bring some positive change to Venezuela?

omg what is pope leo doing? i thought he was all about peace but now he's getting involved with venezuela drama like wow pope leo, you're like the ultimate diplomat but honestly, maria corina machado's been speaking truth to power for ages so kudos to her for still going strong meanwhile, trump is like "hey, i'll let maduro's VP in charge" and now venezuela's all shook up how long will it take for a change to happen over there? should the vatican be stepping into politics or just sticking to what they do best - spreading love & positivity

I'm still thinking about this whole thing with María Corina Machado and Pope Leo XIV... Like, what was going through their minds when they decided to keep it so secret? I mean, she just got back from hiding after 11 months and already she's having a private meeting with the Pope? That's some serious diplomacy right there.

And now we're seeing how the US is playing into this whole situation... like, what's up with Trump's decision to let Maduro's VP assume control? It's all pretty confusing. I'm trying to imagine what kind of talks Machado had with the Pope that led to him making such a statement about human rights in Venezuela.

It's like, the world is watching this situation closely now and we're all waiting for something to happen... will there be more meetings between Machado and the Pope? Will Trump's move actually have an impact on the Venezuelan opposition? I don't know, but one thing's for sure - this whole thing has got everyone talking!