Pope Leo XIV criticized the deployment of US forces in the Caribbean on Tuesday, without mentioning President Donald Trump, and stated that “no one wins with violence.”
President Donald Trump ordered a military deployment to the Caribbean in recent weeks under the pretext of combating drug trafficking in the region. US forces have since carried out multiple attacks against suspected drug traffickers, killing dozens of people.
Responding to a question from a journalist as he left his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Leo XIV said a country has the right to maintain a military to “defend peace, but in this case it seems a little different. It increases tensions,” the 70-year-old pope said, referring to reports of US ships stationed near the Venezuelan coast, according to AFP.
“We don’t win with violence. What we must do is seek dialogue,” added the pope, who was born in Chicago and also holds Peruvian citizenship.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has denounced his country as the victim of a “multifaceted war” orchestrated by the United States, including the deployment of Marines in the Caribbean and the bombing of vessels allegedly linked to drug trafficking. Caracas has characterized these actions as “armed aggression” aimed at regime change.
On migrants The pope was also asked about migrants detained in his hometown, a focal point of Trump’s immigration crackdown.
“Jesus says very clearly at the end of the world, we’re going to be asked, ‘How did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him and welcome him or not?’” the pontiff said.
“I think there is a deep reflection that needs to be made about what’s happening. Many people who have lived for years and years—never causing problems—have been deeply affected by what’s going on right now,” he said.
In September, Leo XIV, a former missionary in Peru, criticized what he called the “inhuman treatment” of immigrants in the United States.
