Venezuela's Socialist Regime Still Persecuting Church Leaders Even After Maduro's Capture

Venezuela's Church Leaders Silenced by Socialist Regime Despite Maduro's Capture

A new report from Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reveals that church leaders in Venezuela continue to face severe persecution, even after the United States' forcible removal of President Nicolas Maduro from power on January 3, 2026.

The report, titled "Self Censorship and Social Control: The Situation of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Venezuela," documents how leaders from the Socialist Union of Venezuela Party (PSUV) and allied parties remain entrenched in power and responsible for extensive violations of religious freedom and human rights.

According to CSW, all religious leaders in Venezuela are under constant surveillance. Government informants planted in congregations are common, and pastors who are perceived to have said the "wrong" thing are treated as traitors.

In some cases, they have been attacked by illegal armed groups supported by the regime. Religious leaders now practice widespread self censorship in public sermons, prayers, and even private meetings out of fear that a government informant might be listening.

With or without Maduro at the helm, the Socialist Union of Venezuela Party remains responsible for widespread human rights violations, including the persecution of religious leaders and repression of independent civil society.

Anna Lee Stangl, CSW Director of Advocacy, stated in the report's release.

One of the most prominent cases involves Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, the former Archbishop of Caracas. In October 2025, the Cardinal was physically prevented from travelling to preside over a mass in honour of canonised Venezuelan physician Jose Gregorio Hernandez.

His passport was later seized in December 2025, preventing him from attending Pope Leo XIV's first extraordinary consistory. After a month and a half ordeal, his passport was restored on January 30, 2026.

The Maduro regime also established the "Good Pastor Bonus" program, offering approximately $2.60 monthly stipends to incentivize pastoral support for the government. Approximately 20,000 pastors received the stipend in 2025. Religious groups that accepted preferential treatment received loyalty incentives, while those who refused faced discrimination and accusations of "incitement to hatred."

CSW Report Exposes Venezuela's Ongoing War on Religious Freedom

CSW identifies Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua as forming an "authoritarian triad" of religious persecution in Latin America, with Venezuela mirroring Cuba's persecution model.

The report also highlights Colombian illegal armed groups operating in Venezuelan border states including Amazonas, Apure, Tachira, and Zulia, undermining rule of law and indigenous spiritual rights. CSW urges the United States to add Venezuela to the Special Watchlist and increase engagement with religious groups there.

Venezuela's population is estimated at 71% Roman Catholic, 17% Protestant, and 8% non religious, according to 2011 census data.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let me be absolutely clear about what is happening here. A socialist regime is paying pastors $2.60 a month to sell out their faith and spy on their own congregations. Twenty thousand pastors took the deal. A Cardinal was physically prevented from celebrating Mass and had his passport seized for daring to speak truth. This is what happens when the state decides it owns the Church.

Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua. Three nations where the government treats Christians like enemies of the state. The world stays silent because it is not fashionable to defend persecuted Christians. If any government did this to a mosque, the United Nations would be in emergency session before sundown. But when it is a church? Crickets. The hypocrisy is staggering and it is evil.

Take Action

• Pray daily for persecuted pastors in Venezuela who face surveillance, detention, and violence for preaching the Gospel.
• Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to support persecuted Christians in Latin America and worldwide.
• Support Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) who produced this report and continue to advocate for religious freedom in Venezuela.
• Contact your Congressional representatives and urge them to add Venezuela to the U.S. Special Watchlist for religious freedom violations. Find your representative at house.gov.
• Support Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs who work to assist persecuted believers across Latin America.