Pope Leo has urged US President Donald Trump to avoid using military force to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, instead calling for dialogue. The pontiff made the remarks while returning from his first overseas trip as pope to Turkey and Lebanon.
The Trump administration has been considering options as it intensifies its campaign against Maduro, whom it accuses of links to the illegal drug trade. The US has amassed its largest military presence in the Caribbean since the 1989 invasion of Panama and launched 21 strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats, killing at least 83 people.
Speaking to reporters on the papal flight, Pope Leo said the Catholic church was 'trying to find a way to calm the situation' because 'in these situations it is the people who suffer, not the authorities'. He acknowledged a telephone conversation between Trump and Maduro but warned of the danger of a possible invasion of Venezuelan territory.
The pope advised that if the US wanted change in Venezuela, it should 'seek dialogue, including economic pressure' rather than military force. He also criticised anti-migrant activists who stoke fears of Islam and highlighted cooperation between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon as an example for Europe and the US.
During the trip, Pope Leo urged peace amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and said a world war was being fought 'piecemeal'. He also spoke about his election in May, saying he 'resigned himself' when he realised he might be chosen, and discussed plans for future trips, including to Africa.
