Pope Leo met at the Vatican with Maria Corina Machado, the leader of the opposition in Venezuela

Pope Leon XIV met on Monday, January 12, 2026, at the Vatican with the leader of the opposition in Venezuela and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, María Corina Machado, during a private audience not initially included in the official program of the pontiff.

The Vatican confirmed the meeting in a statement, without providing details about the discussions. The meeting takes place in a context of international tensions related to the political crisis in Venezuela and after the Pope called for respect for the will of the Venezuelan people and human rights in the country. Machado, a former member of the National Assembly, has been one of the main figures of the opposition and has been prevented from participating in the 2024 elections by the authorities in Caracas.