Venezuela Episcopalians ask for solidarity after US deposed South American president

[Episcopal News Service] As Venezuelans face continued uncertainty after the U.S. military last weekend removed President Nicolás Maduro from office, church leaders have been communicating with Episcopalians in the Caracas-based Diocese of Venezuela to address their immediate and long-term needs.

“Right now, they are asking for Episcopalians to pray alongside them as they navigate through these tense times,” the Rev. David Ulloa Chavez, The Episcopal Church’s partnership officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, told Episcopal News Service. 

“At this moment, it’s all about listening intently to ensure that our support and continued connections are productive and genuinely helpful. We’re letting our Episcopal family in Venezuela know that they’re not alone and our support for them is not a one-and-done circumstance,” Chavez said. “We will stand with our episcopal siblings in prayer and also discern informed ways to mobilize our influence on their behalf.”

The Diocese of Venezuela has nine clergy serving 15 organized missions throughout the South American country’s 23 states, confirmed Ecuador Litoral Bishop Cristóbal Olmedo León Lozano, who serves as the provisional bishop of the Province IX diocese. For safety reasons, most congregations are holding virtual services. 

“When I spoke with the Venezuelan clergy [on Jan. 3], I was encouraged to learn that they were physically well, although emotionally uneasy not knowing what might happen after the arrest of Nicolás Maduro,” Lozano told ENS Jan. 8 via WhatsApp.

Lozano also has been communicating with others on Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s staff and with fellow Episcopal bishops.

The latest Episcopal Public Policy Network Action Alert invites Episcopalians to call on Congress to investigate the U.S. military’s attack on Venezuela.

The Trump administration didn’t seek congressional approval, as required by the U.S. Constitution, before the Jan. 3 U.S. military attack that ousted Maduro. Additionally, legal experts suggest the attack also violated international law.

The United States has charged Maduro and his wife, Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and conspiracy.

They pleaded not guilty on Jan. 5 in a New York federal court. During the hearing, Nicolás Maduro accused the Trump administration of kidnapping and described himself as a prisoner of war.

The Maduros’ next court appearance is scheduled for March 17. They remain in custody at a Brooklyn detention center.

Maduro, an authoritarian ruler who has been accused of human rights abuses and other violations, has led Venezuela since the death of Hugo Chavez in 2013. In 2024, Maduro was declared the winner of an election declared fraudulent by independent monitors.

Millions of Venezuelans have fled the country under Maduro. As of June 2025, roughly 1.1 million of the nearly 8 million forcibly displaced Venezuelan migrants have fled to the United States. Most of them legally entered the United States through a humanitarian program known as Temporary Protected Status.

Reactions to Maduro’s removal in Venezuela and worldwide have been mixed. While many people have celebrated the end of Maduro’s presidency, many others have protested the United States’ unauthorized involvement and the Trump administration’s desire for U.S. companies to take over oil production in Venezuela. Rallies have occurred worldwide, including in the U.S., Chile, Colombia, India, Mexico, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Trump also raised global concern Jan. 3 when he said the United States will “run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition” to new leadership. He backed up his claims during a Jan. 8 interview with the New York Times when he said “only time will tell” how long that would be. 

“The clergy and laypeople I’ve spoken with said there is a tense calm in the country – a lot of uncertainty and increased fear due to the statements made by President Donald Trump and Venezuelan leaders,” Lozano said.

Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, has mostly been quiet after Maduro’s capture, other than paramilitary groups deployed by the government patrolling the streets on motorcycles armed with assault rifles, according to news reports and Lozano’s and Chavez’s correspondence with diocesan leaders. Many businesses have closed over safety concerns. Only essential businesses like hospitals, pharmacies and grocery stores have stayed open.

“My prayer focus has been to ask that the Venezuelan people residing in Venezuela remain calm and avoid confrontations that would divide them further that they already are,” Lozano said.

As The Episcopal Church navigates how best to support the diocese, Chavez said one thing Episcopalians in the U.S. could do is learn about the consequences of the United States’ history of political and business interventions in Venezuela and throughout Latin America.

“Having a sense of [the] historical narrative across the Americas is vital to understanding the resilience of a people … that they continue to find ways to resist forces that seek to undercut their self-determination despite the harm that’s been caused,” Chavez said. “This understanding will help us meaningfully pray for Venezuela and the region, and to inform us on how to most effectively elevate Venezuelans’ voices and advocate for them.”

-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.