"The one who suffers the most in these situations is the people," it had been warned. The Press Office of the Holy See issued a statement expressing its disappointment over the revelation of confidential conversations that, according to allegations, do not fully and accurately reflect the content of the meeting. Nevertheless, the revelation confirms that the Vatican saw the regime change as inevitable, although it deeply disagreed with the methods used by the White House. In a desperate effort to avoid bloodshed, Vatican diplomacy tried until the last moment to negotiate an exile for Nicolás Maduro. According to an investigation by The Washington Post, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, held a secret meeting on December 24 with the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, Brian Burch, to propose Russia as a place of asylum for the Venezuelan leader. Parolin, who knows Caracas politics deeply from his past as nuncio in that country, urged the Trump administration to halt the military advance. According to the documents obtained, the Vatican admitted that Maduro had to leave power after the disputed elections in July 2024, but insisted on offering him a "golden exit" to guarantee his safety and regional stability. The Vatican mediation suggested that President Vladimir Putin was willing to grant asylum and protection to Maduro. The security pact: The proposal implied that Maduro could keep his assets and retire to Russia, Qatar, or Turkey under international security guarantees. The "internal obstacle": Parolin confided in the U.S. ambassador that Maduro would have been willing to resign voluntarily after the elections, but that Diosdado Cabello convinced him that doing so would cost him his life. Venezuela as a bargaining chip: The meeting mentioned the "rumor" that Moscow was willing to abandon its support for Venezuela if it achieved favorable conditions in negotiations over the conflict in Ukraine. The stance of Pope Leo XIV: The current pontiff, Leo XIV, the first American pope in history, had already expressed his concern during his return from Lebanon on December 3. Before the press, the Pope called for avoiding any use of force and advocated for dialogue or economic pressure before a territorial invasion.
