Pope Leo XIV Expects The United States To Conduct Dialogue With Venezuela

JAKARTA - World Catholic Church leader Pope XIV on Tuesday hopes for dialogue between the United States and Venezuela or puts pressure on, amid tensions between the two countries.

The first Pope from Uncle Sam's country urged President Donald Trump's administration not to try to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro with military force if he wanted to make changes in the country.

The Trump administration has considered various options to combat what it describes as Maduro's role in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans.

On the other hand, the socialist president of Venezuela has denied having any relationship with the drug trade.

Asked at a news conference about President Trump's threat to forcibly overthrow President Maduro, Pope Leo said: "It's better to find ways to dialogue, or maybe pressure, including economic pressure," as reported by Al Arabiya from Reuters (3/12).

The Pope, speaking of his return trip from a visit to Turkey and Lebanon, added Washington should look for other ways to achieve changes "if that's what they want to do in the United States."

Pope Leo XIV, answering a journalist's question, also said the signal coming from President Trump's administration about his policy towards Venezuela was unclear.

"On the one hand, there appears to be a phone call between the two presidents," the Pope said, referring to Trump's phone call with Maduro last month.

"On the other hand, there is a danger, there is a possibility that there will be some activity, some operations (military)," he continued.

"Voils coming from the United States change with a certain frequency," Pope Leo XIV added.

Reuters reported last month that options considered by the US included efforts to overthrow Venezuelan Leaders, while the US military was ready for a new phase of operation after the massive military buildup in the Caribbean and nearly three months of attacks on ships suspected of being drug smugglers off the coast of Venezuela.

The Pope, who was elected in May and originally from Chicago, is familiar with Latin America as he spent years devoted to Peru.