Venezuela: Cardinal Cardoso prevented from leaving country

Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo. Image: Facebook/Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo.

Source: CSW

Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, the former Archbishop of Caracas and one of the most prominent figures in the Venezuelan Catholic Church, was prevented from leaving Venezuela for Bogotá, Colombia, on 10 December.

From Bogotá, Cardinal Porras Cardozo was due to fly to Madrid, Spain, and onto Toledo to participate in a ceremony in which he would be appointed the role of Spiritual Protector in the Order of Saint Lazarus in Venezuela. Cardinal Porras Cardozo was accompanied by the Grand Prior of the Order, José Antonio Rodríguez, and his wife, who were permitted to board the plane, however the cardinal himself was prevented from boarding by officials who threatened to arrest him if he insisted on travelling abroad.

The cardinal reported that in addition to being prevented from travelling, his passport was cancelled without official explanation. In addition, a statement from the Order of Saint Lazarus reports that the cardinal subjected to a 'humiliating' treatment including a search of his personal belongings and clothes, the use of sniffer dogs, and the removal of his luggage from the plane.

The order has appealed to the Vatican to demand 'the immediate restitution of the confiscated documents and a guarantee of free international transit for His Eminence, in accordance with international norms.'

Cardinal Porras Cardozo has previously been subjected to harassment by the Venezuelan authorities. On 20 October 2025 President Nicolás Maduro accused the cardinal of 'conspiring' during the canonisation process of Venezuelan physician José Gregorio Hernández, after he denounced the militarisation of Venezuela and the government's human rights violations whilst speaking in Rome.

Days later, Cardinal Porras Cardozo was prevented from celebrating Mass in St. Gregorio Hernández's birthplace of Isnotú on 26 October after the Vice Minister of Religious Affairs contacted the Venezuelan Bishops' Conference and warned of a risk of unrest if the cardinal was permitted to attend. Cardinal Porras Cardozo subsequently attempted to travel to the town privately, however his aircraft was diverted under false pretences and a military deployment prevented him from continuing his journey by land.

The Venezuelan Bishops' Conference issued a public statement defending Cardinal Porras Cardozo on the same day, refuting President Maduro's accusations and emphasising the legitimacy of the cardinal's pastoral work.

CSW's Director of Advocacy and Americas Team Leader Anna Lee Stangl said: 'CSW is highly alarmed at the Venezuelan authorities' increasing efforts to restrict the freedom of movement of Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, who has clearly been targeted because of his criticism of the government's violations of human rights. We echo the call of the Order of Saint Lazarus for the authorities to return and reinstate Cardinal Porras Cardozo's passport, and to permit him to travel freely to Bogotá.'

In a separate development, unidentified individuals vandalised the Cuasia Church in San Juan de los Morros, Guárico State on 23 October. The assailants left graffiti with death threats towards the church's priest, Fr Juan Manuel León, who is known for denouncing human rights abuses in Venezuela. Messages such as 'Damn priest, we are going to kill you' and 'Terrorist, fascist, thief' were written just a few centimetres from the church's cross.

The Bishop of San Juan de los Morros, Monsignor Raúl Ascanio, confirmed that Fr Manuel León had received previous threats and described the incident as "extremely serious."

Anna Lee Stangl added: "CSW calls on the authorities in San Juan de los Morros to conduct a detailed investigation into the vandalism of the Cuasia Church and the death threats issued towards Fr Juan Manuel León, ensuring that those responsible are held to account and that religious leaders in Venezuela are free to carry out their work without fear of violence or harassment."

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Christian Solidarity Worldwide: www.csw.org.uk