Overview
- The Holy See listed the audience in its daily bulletin after it took place and released no substantive readout.
- Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani publicly confirmed the encounter earlier in the day.
- The meeting coincided with the release of Italian nationals Alberto Trentini and Mario Burlò after 423 days in detention in Venezuela.
- In a recent foreign‑policy address, Pope Leo XIV condemned the use of military force and called for protection of human rights in Venezuela.
- Machado, who was barred from the 2024 ballot after backing a substitute candidate, is expected to meet President Donald Trump this week, and he has said he does not see her holding a leadership role in Venezuela.