Azernews.Az

The Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has urged the U.S. administration not to rush into action against Venezuela, warning that such steps could lead to destabilization and bloodshed in the country.

As reported by Azernews, citing The Washington Post, Cardinal Parolin raised the issue in late December during a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican Brian Burch. He reportedly inquired about Washington’s plans regarding Venezuela and sought to clarify whether the United States was pursuing a change of power in the country.

Parolin also attempted for several days to contact U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, hoping to prevent violence and further destabilization in Venezuela.

It was further reported that the cardinal asked the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to allow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to leave the country. According to the publication, Parolin suggested that Maduro could seek asylum in Russia.

The article also cites a comment from the Holy See’s press office regarding the consultations, stating that the disclosure of fragments of confidential talks that do not accurately reflect the substance of the Christmas-period discussions was “disappointing.”

The report additionally claims that U.S. officials discussed with Maduro the possibility of him leaving Venezuela and traveling to Turkiye.