According to the American newspaper, one of the key movements took place on Christmas Eve, when Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State and main person in charge of the Holy See’s diplomacy, requested an emergency meeting with the United States ambassador to the Vatican to learn about Washington’s plans and buy time for a negotiated solution. In fact, according to the newspaper, Parolin even stated that “Russia was willing to grant asylum to Maduro.”
During that meeting, Parolin asked if the United States would limit itself to attacking drug trafficking networks. or if he openly sought a change of regime. And, according to the documents to which the American newspaper has had access, the cardinal recognized that he had to leave power, but asked the Trump administration to offer him a safe exit to avoid a “bloodshed” and further destabilization in
“What was proposed to Maduro was that he leave and enjoy his money”
“What was proposed to Maduro was that he leave and be able to enjoy his money,” a person familiar with the Russian offer told the aforementioned newspaper. “Part of that request was for Putin to guarantee security,” he added.
The Vatican’s attempt was just one of many failed diplomatic efforts—which also involved Russia, Qatar, Türkiye and unofficial mediators, according to the Washington Post— to find a safe haven for Maduro before the US military operation that ended with his capture. A week after that meeting at the Vatican, US special forces arrested Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a raid that left at least 100 dead.
The report also reveals that Washington finally ruled out an agreed exit and chose to support vice president Delcy Rodríguez as Maduro’s interim successor, considering – according to intelligence assessments – that she would have more options to maintain control of the country and the support of the Armed Forces than the opposition leader María Corina Machado.
According to The Washington PostMaduro had multiple opportunities to abandon power and avoid military intervention, including offers of exile in other countries such as Turkey or even Russia, but he rejected all of them, convinced that the United States would not act. That refusal, concludes the newspaperended up “sealing his fate.”
