Vatican City, Jan. 12 -- Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado held talks with Pope Leo XIV on Monday, seeking support for a democratic transition in Venezuela after the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, ahead of her Washington visit to meet US President Donald Trump, The Washington Post reported.

Machado's Vatican meeting comes amid Venezuela's political upheaval and forms part of her broader diplomatic outreach as she pushes for international backing for a democratic transition.

Pope Leo XIV, the first US Pope, has also addressed the Venezuela situation, calling for the country to remain independent following the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro on the orders of Pres...