Bishop Juan Carlos Bravo Salazar of Petare, Venezuela Credit: Catedral de Petare, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Jan 3, 2026 / 16:07 pm (CNA).
“It is necessary, although difficult, to maintain serenity, peace, and above all, a climate of prayer,” is the appeal of Bishop Juan Carlos Bravo Salazar of Petare, Venezuela, following the U.S. law enforcement and military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in the early hours of Saturday, January 3.
In a statement released through the diocese’s Instagram account, Bishop Bravo said that in the country, “we are experiencing moments of confusion, uncertainty, and pain, in which we do not clearly understand what is happening. Our strength and hope are in the Lord of Life and Peace.”
The prelate requested, “for the good of our people,” that no “calls for street protests” be made and that “unverified and unconfirmed information, or information from unreliable or unofficial sources,” not be disseminated.
“Let us stay in communication with one another, among pastoral zones and with our closest collaborators,” he urged.
Bishop Bravo, who has served as Bishop of Petare since January 2022, asked that “the Holy Spirit grant us the necessary graces to make a faithful interpretation of this historical moment and of our reality as disciples and shepherds of the faithful.”
“May God bless us all,” he concluded.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 3, a U.S. military operation in Caracas, Venezuela, led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The Venezuelan dictator has been transferred to New York, where he has been formally charged with, among other crimes, leading a corrupt government that facilitates drug trafficking and conspiracy.
U.S. President Donald Trump later announced that the United States would take over the administration of Venezuela “until a proper transition can be implemented.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
