Venezuela's Machado asks Pope Leo to press for release of prisoners

FILE PHOTO: Pope Leo XIV holds the weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, January 7, 2026. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo

VATICAN CITY, Jan ‌12 (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado met Pope Leo at ‌the Vatican on Monday and said afterwards that she had asked ‌the pontiff to press Caracas to release political prisoners.

The Vatican confirmed the meeting in its daily press release on Monday, but did not offer comment or further details about the ‍encounter.