President Nicolas Maduro calls on Pope Leo XIV to help rescue 18 Venezuelan migrant children separated from their families in the United States, denouncing the UN’s failure to act and demanding urgent humanitarian intervention.

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has formally requested Pope Leo XIV’s intervention to aid in the rescue of 18 Venezuelan migrant children currently held and separated from their families in the United States.

This appeal, made public on July 1, 2025, underscores Venezuela’s growing frustration with the United Nations’ inaction and the ongoing humanitarian abuses faced by Venezuelan migrants across the Americas.

During his weekly program Con Maduro +, President Maduro announced that he had sent a heartfelt letter to Pope Leo XIV, urging the Roman Catholic Church to mobilize efforts to protect these vulnerable children.President Maduro entrusted National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez with the task of delivering the letter through the apostolic nuncio in Venezuela, emphasizing the Pope’s understanding of humanitarian crises.

“I know the Pope is a man who understands these issues. I ask the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo, for help so that the Catholic Church in the United States and the Catholic Church in El Salvador protect migrants and help us with their efforts to rescue these children,”President Maduro said, speaking on behalf of anguished mothers and grandmothers.

The Venezuelan government’s appeal follows sharp criticism of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and UN Resident Coordinator in Venezuela Gianluca Rampolla. Both officials have been accused of failing to address the forced separation of Venezuelan migrant children and the broader migrant crisis. The Venezuelan National Assembly declared Türk “persona non grata,” condemning his incomprehensible silence on these human rights violations.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez drew a powerful parallel between the separation of these children and the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany, underscoring the severity of this humanitarian abuse.

Venezuela exhorta la repatriación, de sus 18 niños y niñas retenidos, en los Estados Unidos. El Gobierno de Venezuela y del presidente Nicolás Maduro, pide a la iglesia católica, a través del Nuncio Apostólico para Venezuela, el Excelentísimo Monseñor Alberto Ortega, llevé el… pic.twitter.com/GwAGh3DtXT

— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) July 1, 2025

The text reads: Venezuela urges the repatriation of its 18 children being held in the United States. The Government of Venezuela and President Nicolás Maduro ask the Catholic Church, through the Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela, His Excellency Monsignor Alberto Ortega, to carry the message of the Venezuelan people so that the churches of the United States, El Salvador, and Venezuela can form an alliance to ensure these boys and girls return to their families.

Venezuela’s complaint also highlights the plight of 252 Venezuelan migrants kidnapped in El Salvador after being deported by the United States last March. These migrants were accused of alleged links to the now-defunct Tren de Aragua criminal organization. Rodríguez denounced the Salvadoran government’s complicity and the brutal conditions these migrants endure.

President Maduro condemned the U.S. migrant detention system, particularly spotlighting a newly inaugurated detention center in Florida designed to hold 3,000 migrants. Describing the facility as a “horrible” place “surrounded by swamps, crocodiles, and snakes,” The President warned of the inhumanity faced by detained migrants. The center’s opening is reportedly to be attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting the administration’s ongoing role in migrant repression.

El presidente de #Venezuela 🇻🇪, Nicolás Maduro, envió una carta al papa León XIV, solicitando su ayuda para rescatar a los 18 niños migrantes venezolanos que se encuentran retenidos en #EstadosUnidos 🇺🇸https://t.co/Q81NVqg2tA

— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) July 1, 2025

The text reads: The President of #Venezuela , Nicolás Maduro, sent a letter to Pope Leo XIV, requesting his help to rescue the 18 Venezuelan migrant children who are being held in the #UnitedStates.

Jorge Rodríguez challenged U.S. officials, including Ambassador John McNamara, questioning their humanity and urging them to empathize with parents whose children have been taken. He stressed the urgent need for family warmth and care, especially for children under five, who suffer profound psychological trauma from forced separation.

Rodríguez vowed that Venezuela will continue to fight “as far as necessary” to secure the return of every Venezuelan child to their homeland.

The Venezuelan government’s Return to the Homeland Mission, chaired by Camilla Fabri, reported that 6,972 Venezuelans have returned this year on 38 repatriation flights, including 979 children. This program aims to assist those wishing to return to Venezuela, a desire shared by many families affected by forced separations.

Venezuela’s appeal to Pope Leo XIV represents a profound call for international solidarity and moral leadership in the face of ongoing migrant abuses. The Venezuelan government’s denunciation of UN inaction and U.S. detention policies highlights the urgent need for a humanitarian response that prioritizes family reunification, dignity, and respect for human rights.

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