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The canonization of Venezuela’s first two saints, Dr. José Gregorio Hernández and Mother Carmen Rendiles Martínez, was celebrated in a grand ceremony in Rome today, October 19, 2025. While the Venezuelan government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, actively cooperated with the Catholic Church on logistical arrangements within the country, Maduro’s conspicuous absence from the Vatican ceremony highlights the severe international restrictions he faces.
Why Maduro Cannot Easily Leave Venezuela
President Maduro’s ability to travel internationally is heavily restricted by a web of sanctions, travel bans, and criminal indictments issued by several global powers and international bodies.
- U.S. Indictment and Bounty: The most significant restriction is the indictment issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in March 2020. Maduro and several high-ranking officials were charged with narco-terrorism, corruption, and drug trafficking, specifically alleging a partnership with the FARC to flood the U.S. with cocaine. The U.S. has offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest. This effectively prevents him from traveling to any country with an extradition treaty with the U.S. where he might be apprehended.
- International Sanctions and Travel Bans:
- The European Union (EU), Canada, and several Latin American nations have imposed targeted sanctions and visa restrictions on Maduro and his allies for undermining democracy and human rights.
- Countries that are signatories to the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR), including many nations in the Americas, have agreed to ban travel for Maduro and numerous Venezuelan officials.
- Safety and Security Concerns: In the past, Maduro has cited security concerns and assassination plots orchestrated by his opponents as reasons for skipping international trips, such as the UN General Assembly. His fear of being targeted or detained while abroad remains a permanent, non-legal barrier.
In essence, leaving Venezuelan airspace carries an extremely high risk of detention and extradition, making non-essential travel to countries outside of his closest political allies (such as Cuba, Russia, Iran, or Turkey) virtually impossible.
Absence from the Vatican Canonization Gala
President Maduro did not attend the canonization of Dr. José Gregorio Hernández and Mother Carmen Rendiles Martínez at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, despite the enormous national and political significance of the event.
- Criminal Risk: The primary reason for his absence is the risk of arrest. Italy, as an EU member and a close U.S. ally, is not a safe destination for Maduro due to the existing travel bans and the U.S. DOJ indictment. Any travel to Rome would expose him to the potential for international legal action.
- Political PR vs. Reality: While the Maduro government has heavily involved itself in the event’s logistics at home—a move critics say is an attempt to “clean its face” and use the popular figure for political gain—the President’s physical presence at the Vatican would have drawn immediate international controversy and put him at an unacceptable legal risk.
- Church Pressure: The canonization has also been politicized by the Venezuelan Catholic Church, which used the solemn occasion to call on the government to issue “clemency measures” and release political prisoners—a move that would have made a direct appearance by Maduro at the Vatican particularly awkward and challenging.
Instead of traveling, Maduro’s government focused on organizing celebratory events in Caracas and other Venezuelan cities, acknowledging the new saints from within the relative safety of his country’s borders.
