Spiritual ties of Venezuelan leaders include guru Sathya Sai Baba

Former president Nicolás Maduro and acting president Delcy Rodríguez have expressed devotion to Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba; Rodríguez visited his ashram in 2023 and 2024 and Maduro marked the guru's centenary in 2025.

Nicolás Maduro and Delcy Rodríguez both show public devotion to Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba even though they were raised Catholic. Their interest reflects a wider pattern in Venezuela of blending Catholicism with other spiritual practices. Rodríguez visited Sai Baba's ashram in Puttaparthi as recently as 2024 and has spoken of feeling the guru's presence. The Sathya Sai Baba organization has had a presence in Venezuela since the 1970s. Key points: - Maduro and Rodríguez are described as followers of Sathya Sai Baba while also having roots in Catholicism. - Rodríguez visited the guru's ashram in 2023 and 2024 and appears in videos praying at the sanctum and meeting organization leaders. - Maduro publicly marked the 2025 centenary of Sai Baba and reportedly displayed a framed photograph of the guru at Miraflores Palace. - The U.S. military seized Maduro and his wife on Jan. 3 and brought them to New York on federal drug-trafficking charges, a separate legal matter reported in the article. - The Sai Baba organization opened its first Venezuelan center in Caracas in 1974 and currently appears centered in Abejales, where it runs a "Human Values School." Some estimates put followers in Venezuela near 200,000. - Sathya Sai Baba attracted a global following and also faced accusations during his life; those allegations were never charged, as reported. Summary: The reporting highlights how transnational spiritual figures like Sathya Sai Baba intersect with political life in Venezuela, often in symbolic and personal ways. The movement's local presence predates current leaders and includes community institutions. The legal and political situation surrounding Maduro is ongoing. Undetermined at this time.