Pope Francis Holds Surprise Meeting with Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado at the Vatican
In a surprise move, Pope Francis met privately with Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela's opposition, at the Vatican on Monday. The meeting came as no surprise to few given their long-standing advocacy for democracy and human rights in Venezuela.
Machado was in Rome touring Europe and the United States after emerging from 11 months in hiding following the announcement of her Nobel Peace Prize win in Norway last year. Her trip has been marked by controversy, particularly over plans to share her prize with US President Donald Trump, a move met with fierce opposition from human rights groups.
In his statement regarding Machado's meeting with Pope Francis, the Vatican has yet to confirm details but did announce that she had met the pontiff privately after initially not listing it on their schedule. This development comes as the US-backed opposition in Venezuela, who have long called for a change in government and restoration of democracy, faces an uncertain future under new leadership.
Pope Francis has expressed concerns over the situation in Venezuela, urging action to protect human rights and civil liberties in Latin America's largest oil-producing nation. The Pope's stance on this matter reflects his long-standing commitment to promoting peace, justice, and respect for international law worldwide.
In a surprise move, Pope Francis met privately with Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela's opposition, at the Vatican on Monday. The meeting came as no surprise to few given their long-standing advocacy for democracy and human rights in Venezuela.
Machado was in Rome touring Europe and the United States after emerging from 11 months in hiding following the announcement of her Nobel Peace Prize win in Norway last year. Her trip has been marked by controversy, particularly over plans to share her prize with US President Donald Trump, a move met with fierce opposition from human rights groups.
In his statement regarding Machado's meeting with Pope Francis, the Vatican has yet to confirm details but did announce that she had met the pontiff privately after initially not listing it on their schedule. This development comes as the US-backed opposition in Venezuela, who have long called for a change in government and restoration of democracy, faces an uncertain future under new leadership.
Pope Francis has expressed concerns over the situation in Venezuela, urging action to protect human rights and civil liberties in Latin America's largest oil-producing nation. The Pope's stance on this matter reflects his long-standing commitment to promoting peace, justice, and respect for international law worldwide.
the thing that struck me about this whole scene is how crazy it gets when someone wins a Nobel Prize 
, especially if they're gonna share it with some US President who's got a history of...well, let's just say 'interesting' human rights record. I mean, what even was Machado thinking? 
he met up w/ venezuela opposition leader maria corina machado @ the vatican 
i mean its not like shes been in hiding 4 11 mnths or anything 
but seriously tho, papas stance on venezuela is fire 
we need more ppl in power like him who care bout human rights & all that jazz 
. And to top that off, going into hiding for 11 months and then having to deal with all this drama while traveling... ugh! 
I hope the Pope's private meeting with her brought some comfort and validation. It's clear that he understands the importance of human rights and democracy in Venezuela 
. She deserves all our support right now 
just wondering if pope francis is trying to help venezuela's opposition without stirring up more drama with trump tho 
machado's trip has been pretty eventful already 
. I was listening to our teacher talk about democracy in class and it made me think about how important it is for everyone to have a say in their country's future. It would be amazing if we could learn more about what's going on in Venezuela in our history classes 
. I'm glad Pope Francis is using his platform to speak out about human rights, but isn't it weird that he's meeting with the leader of the opposition? Shouldn't he just stick to talking about peace and justice instead of getting involved in politics? 
, I mean, the situation with the opposition leader meeting with Pope Francis is nice and all, but let's talk stats: 
, but at least he's willing to listen 
. And who knows, maybe this meeting will be the catalyst for real change 
?
.
That's just gonna ruffle some feathers.
! I mean, she's always been vocal about democracy and human rights, so it's no surprise they'd want to chat with her. But sharing her Nobel Peace Prize with Trump? That was a bit of a controversy, if you ask me 
. Like, what even is that?! Anyway, I'm glad the Pope is still all about promoting peace and justice – he's like, super influential 
. And now she's talking to the Pope, one of the most powerful people in the world? It's huge, you know?
. But one thing for sure - we're seeing some big players stepping up to support democracy and human rights in Latin America 
.
And honestly, what's up with her sharing her Nobel Peace Prize with Donald Trump? 
. Maybe Pope Francis was able to calm her down a bit and convinced her that sharing the prize wouldn't change much 
. I wish them luck with their talks about democracy and human rights in Venezuela, we really need more of that kind of action