NASHVILLE (BP) – As the U.S extraction of now-former President Nicólas Maduro brought widespread celebration among Venezuelans amid pockets of protest inside and outside the country, Baptist leaders are calling on others to keep the country in consistent prayer for peace now and in times ahead.
The Venezuelan National Baptist Convention released a statement Jan. 3, the same day as the pre-dawn American military operation, calling for others to “remain in prayer before the throne of grace” and that God would bring “a climate of peace and calm that will allow Venezuelan society to overcome the current national situation.”
Bruno Molina, executive director of the National Hispanic Baptist Network, joined those thankful for the development.
“We are glad to see Nicolas Maduro brought to justice. This is an answer to prayer for the welfare and flourishing of the people of Venezuela and the furtherance of the gospel in that country and throughout the region. We are particularly happy for our Venezuelan brothers and sisters in Christ who have endured so much hardship.”
Maduro and his wife appeared before a judge in Lower Manhattan earlier today (Jan. 5) to face arraignment over federal crimes centered around drug trafficking and sponsoring a narco-terrorist state. Saturday’s military operation came after months of the Trump administration’s offering deals for Maduro to leave by choice. The final offer – with Maduro in exile alongside family – was delivered and rejected Dec. 23.
Maduro became Venezuela’s president in 2013 upon the death of Hugo Chavez, under whom Maduro had served as vice president. He ostensibly received 51 percent of the vote in the 2024 re-election, but the results were widely condemned and questioned due to serious irregularities.
The Maduro regime retained power, in part, by banning oppositional leaders from holding office through various charges and accusations, as determined by Maduro-friendly government offices.
This kept Maria Corina Machado from running in the national election, though she was allowed in the primaries, for the 2024 election. The country’s election certification body said Maduro won with 51.2 percent, despite groups posting online thousands of paper copies of voting results by machines and polling stations that showed a clear win for the oppositional candidate.
Election officials provided no polling station results and claimed the reporting system had been hacked. The U.S. and numerous countries throughout Europe and Central America refused to acknowledge Maduro as the rightful president. Machado remained in hiding until last month, when she made a harrowing escape into the Caribbean complete with a lost GPS and 10-foot-high waves. She accepted the Nobel Peace Prize days later.
Gilberto Corredera, pastor of Prestonwood en Español in Plano, Texas, issued a statement shared by Prestonwood Pastor Jack Graham that spoke of his observations among church members.
“I have seen the tears, heard the stories, and walked with many who carry deep sorrow and quiet strength in their hearts,” he said. “For the Venezuelan people, this moment is deeply personal. It reflects loss, separation, and the pain of leaving behind a beloved homeland, while also holding a cautious but real hope that justice and restoration may finally come.”
The charges against Maduro included ordering “kidnappings, beatings, and murders” against those seen as undermining the country’s ability to profit from cartel activity. Though not specifically mentioned in the indictment, Venezuela was also deemed part of an “authoritarian triad” of religious persecution by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom last fall.
Corredera expressed “sincere gratitude” to President Trump, his cabinet and those in the U.S. military. He also called on Christians to pray for those leaders to “act with wisdom, justice, and reverence for God, and for the people of Venezuela, that God would heal deep wounds and bring lasting restoration.”
Send Relief has provided a portal through which Southern Baptists can give toward efforts to “remain prepared to meet urgent needs through trusted partners on the ground and throughout the region.”
The Venezuelan National Baptist Convention statement noted that the country’s people long to “live in peace” and “contribute to progress and family well-being.”
“To believers and non-believers alike, our exhortation is to remain attentive to the events and to generate an atmosphere of tranquility, first within the family environment and also within the community,” it read. “In this order, Christians are called to be a blessing to others.”
Molina echoed those sentiments, saying, “We pray for a peaceful transition to a new government that will result in an environment where Venezuelan Christians will be allowed to practice their faith openly and without persecution.”