Pope Leão XIV Urges Respect for Venezuelans' Will, Warns Against a Return to Force

Overview

• Addressing the Holy See’s diplomatic corps, he called for safeguarding human and civil rights as the foundation for Venezuela’s stability.
• His appeal followed reports that a U.S. military operation deposed Nicolás Maduro and transferred him to a New York maximum-security prison to face narcotrafficking charges.
• He cautioned that “war is back in fashion” and said dialogue-based diplomacy is being replaced by coercion, which he argued undermines the rule of law.
• He voiced grave concern over rising tensions in the Caribbean and along the Pacific coast, pointing specifically to the Venezuelan situation.
• He renewed calls for an urgent ceasefire in Ukraine and backed a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine in light of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.