Overview
- The Holy See listed María Corina Machado in the pope’s daily bulletin of audiences and released no details on the meeting’s content or length.
- Machado’s party said she asked the pontiff to press for the release of all political prisoners in Venezuela.
- Days earlier, Pope León XIV urged respect for Venezuelans’ will and called for peaceful, rights‑based solutions in an address to the diplomatic corps.
- The Washington Post reported that Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin explored a negotiated exit for Nicolás Maduro, including possible asylum in Russia, a report the Vatican did not confirm in detail after expressing concern about leaks.
- Machado is pursuing high‑level outreach abroad, with President Donald Trump saying he plans to receive her in Washington this week, as Italy separately reported two of its nationals were freed from detention in Caracas.