Photo of Caracas, Venezuela, available in the Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons.
Maryknoll Statement on U.S. Military Intervention in Venezuela
“While we have long advocated for justice and the relief of suffering for the Venezuelan people, we believe that violence and unilateral military intervention are never the path to reconciliation,” the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns said in a statement released on Jan. 3, 2026.
Download the statement as a PDF
Read our prayer for the people of Venezuela
Use our action alert
January 3, 2026
We witness with profound sorrow and alarm the reports of U.S. military strikes on Venezuelan soil and the forced removal of its leadership. We ask all people to join us in prayer for the safety of our brothers and sisters in Venezuela and for the wisdom of our leaders who hold the lives of so many in their hands.
Our friendship with the people of Venezuela is rooted in the Gospel’s call to peace and the defense of human dignity. While we have long advocated for justice and the relief of suffering for the Venezuelan people, we believe that violence and unilateral military intervention are never the path to reconciliation. The bombardment of military bases and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro violate U.S. and international law, and risk igniting a wider conflict that will displace thousands and claim the lives of the most vulnerable—the poor families in the barrios of Caracas and rural communities throughout Venezuela.
As a U.S.-based Catholic organization, we echo the words of Pope Leo XIV, who has consistently called for dialogue over force. We urge the United States to cease all military operations immediately to prevent further loss of life, respect international law and the sovereignty of nations, and pursue multilateral diplomacy in addressing the crisis in Venezuela. We call on Congress to assert its constitutional responsibility by invoking the War Powers Resolution to stop any further military action by the Administration in the region.