(RNS) — As Venezuelans living in the United States kept watch on developments from home, religious leaders have been slow to respond to Saturday’s (Jan. 3) ouster of President Nicolás Maduro at the hands of the U.S. military.
Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham who heads the humanitarian aid organization Samaritan’s Purse, wrote on X on Saturday morning, “I’m sure the people of Venezuela are breathing a huge sigh of relief that this evil dictator, Nicolás Maduro, is gone. Incredible work by our brave military who executed this strategic mission last night.”
Graham praised President Donald Trump as a president who “doesn’t just talk, but takes action,” adding, “Pray for President Trump and his team to have wisdom from God as they assess what the next steps need to be.” The evangelical Christian leader ended his post with a hashtag “Peace Through Strength.”
But on a weekend when many leaders were recovering from the busy Christmas season, and the administration’s plans were hazy, few other pastors of note remarked on the nighttime raid that captured Maduro and sent the socialist strongman to New York to stand trial.
Pope Leo XIV had repeatedly called for restraint as pressure mounted on Maduro in recent weeks. But nearly 24 hours after the n …