The Pope Calls for Venezuelan Independence, 150 Years Late
In what appears to be a startling demonstration of news cycle lag, The Hill reports that 'Pope Leo calls for Venezuelan independence after Maduro ouster.' While critical declarations from the Pontiff are always newsworthy, particularly regarding geopolitical stability, one might observe a minor calendrical discrepancy. Pope Leo XIII, known for his encyclical Rerum Novarum , passed away in 1903.
Nicolás Maduro, meanwhile, has been president of Venezuela since 2013, and the 'ouster' The Hill refers to is a contemporary, ongoing political struggle, not a historical footnote. This reporting demonstrates a curious editorial choice to conflate modern political crises with papal statements from centuries past—perhaps to lend a certain 'timeless' gravitas to US-backed regime change efforts? This
peculiar temporal framing conveniently ignores the actual, living Pope Francis, who has consistently called for dialogue and condemned external interference in Venezuela, directly contradicting the spirit of The Hill 's oddly re-dated 'papal' intervention. It raises questions about journalistic diligence and whether facts are mere suggestions when a preferred geopolitical narrative is being spun.
One might wonder if they're relying on a ghostwriter from the Vatican's archives, or simply hoping readers won't remember their catechism from Catholic school.