Overview
- The Holy See listed the meeting in its daily bulletin but provided no details on its content or length.
- Machado’s team said she asked the pontiff to intercede for the release of Venezuelan political prisoners.
- The encounter came after the pope urged respect for Venezuelans’ will and called for peaceful, rights‑based solutions in recent remarks.
- Conflicting tallies on recent releases persisted, with officials claiming 116 freed as the NGO Foro Penal verified 17, while Italy announced the release of Alberto Trentini and Mario Burló.
- The Washington Post reported that Vatican diplomats explored asylum options in Russia for Nicolás Maduro before his U.S. capture, and President Donald Trump said he plans to receive Machado in Washington this week.