Pope shares 'deep concern' for Venezuela after warning Donald Trump against invasion
The Pope previously urged Trump to use 'dialogue, or perhaps pressure' to combat what the US President called Maduro's 'narco-regime', rather than resorting to violence.
The Pope has said he is deeply concerned for Venezuela in the aftermath of President Nicolas Maduro's capture - after previously warning Donald Trump against using violent force in the country.
'It is with deep concern that I am following the developments in Venezuela,' Pope Leo XIV wrote on X Sunday morning. 'The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration.
'This must lead to the overcoming of violence, and to the pursuit of paths of justice and peace,' he continued, adding that he was praying for the Venezuelan nation.
It comes one month after he urged Trump to use 'dialogue, or perhaps pressure, including economic pressure' to combat what the US President called Maduro's 'narco-regime', rather than resorting to violence.
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Robert Francis Prevost, or Leo, was elected in May to be the first-ever US-born Pope. He is particularly familiar with Latin America because he spent nearly four decades in Peru as a cleric.
In contrast with the Pope's message, Trump celebrated the 'violence' involved in Maduro's capture in the immediate aftermath, while praising the 'speed' of his troops.
US Army Delta Force soldiers snatched Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their Caracas compound in the early hours of Saturday before extraditing them on drug trafficking charges.
The president later called into Fox News's breakfast show Fox & Friends, excitedly telling its hosts: 'I mean, I watched it literally like I was watching a television show. If you would've seen the speed, the violence - it was an amazing thing.'
The Pope has said he is deeply concerned for Venezuela in the aftermath of President Nicolas Maduro's capture - after previously warning Donald Trump against using violent force
'This must lead to the overcoming of violence, and to the pursuit of paths of justice and peace,' the Pope wrote on X, adding that he was praying for Venezuela following Trump's incursion
Explosions were seen ripping across Caracas during the daring raid, with Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab insisting that 'innocents' had been 'mortally wounded' by the US operation.
Though many Venezuelans in the US have celebrated the overthrow of their longtime dictator, a host of world leaders have condemned the violent incursion into a foreign country's affairs.
The United Nations also said it was 'deeply alarmed' by the US strikes and reported detention of Maduro in Venezuela.