Pope Leo urges Trump not to use US military to oust Venezuelan President Maduro
The first American pope urged the President to use economic pressure to fight the flow of illegal drugs from Venezuela
Pope Leo has urged US President Donald Trump to not oust Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro using military force.
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Leo, the first American pope, advised the Trump administration to not pursue military options in the South American state.
The head of the Catholic church was asked about Mr Trump's threats to remove Maduro by force while aboard a flight on his overseas tour.
In response, the Pope said: "It is better to search for ways of dialogue, or perhaps pressure, including economic pressure".
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Trump's administration has been weighing up option to combat what it sees as socialist Maduro's role in illegal drugs flooding into the US and killing Americans.
Speaking on his way home from a visit to Turkey and Lebanon, Leo added that he hoped that Washington would look for other ways to tackle the issue "if that is what they want to do in the United States".
The US was reportedly considering an attempt to overthrow Maduro amid a massive American military build-up in the Caribbean Sea.
This weekend, Trump declared on Truth Social that the airspace above Venezuela was closed.
This move led to speculation that he could be about to launch strikes on the oil-rich nation.
"On one hand, it seems there was a call between the two presidents," said the pope, referring to a phone call that Trump had with Maduro last month.
"On the other hand, there is the danger, there is the possibility there will be some activity, some (military) operation."
He added: "The voices that come from the United States, they change with a certain frequency."