Maduro claims Jesus was Palestinian, condemned by Spanish Empire

Maduro calls Jesus a 'Palestinian child' and blames the 'Spanish Empire'

How many empires does it take to condemn one man? Nicolás Maduro cites two, but only one existed. In a viral video circulating on social media, the Venezuelan president mentions the Roman Empire at 0:38. Forty seconds later, at 1:19, he asserts that "Jesus Christ was a Palestinian child unjustly condemned by the Spanish Empire and the oligarchies that religiously dominated the region." The slip—whether intentional or not—has sparked intense debate in the Spanish-speaking world.

The remarks were made during his program Con Maduro +, where the leader, who identifies as a practicing Christian, presented Jesus as "the first anti-imperialist known in modern history, over the last three millennia, at least."

What did Maduro say about Palestine and the Gaza war?

He stated that "our Lord was born in Bethlehem, Palestine," adding that when he was born, "it was Palestine, thousands of years ago." In the same segment, he denounced the "genocide" of the Palestinian people in Gaza by Israel, claiming that "for 75 years the Palestinian people have been subjected to a new Apartheid," and criticized the United States and "European governments" for funding "millions of dollars in weapons" while turning a blind eye, according to reports from El Universal.

The speech concluded with the usual demands: a ceasefire, a peace agreement, and negotiation under UN auspices. Maduro joined humanitarian aid efforts sent to the Strip and backed Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is willing to mediate: "I fully agree with my brother Erdogan. Wise words."

The video contradicts itself between 0:38 and 1:19

This discrepancy is central to the controversy. At one point, the video correctly cites the Roman Empire; at another, the Spanish Empire becomes responsible for the crucifixion. This leads to two incompatible interpretations. One suggests it was a teleprompter error, a misread word left uncorrected. Another claims there is manipulated editing, though this accusation lacks evidence: the available footage shows continuity in the speech.

Notably, even the most generous correction doesn't save the narrative. Changing the empire fixes a word, not the entire story.

Historical errors not fixed by changing empires

The first objection is geographical: Aaaa or Galilee, not Palestine as a political entity centuries prior. The second is legal. In the Gospels, the Roman governor asks why he should execute an innocent man; it is the pressure from the Pharisees that forces him to sign the sentence and release Barabbas, a confessed thief. Imperial power is portrayed as reluctant, not as the driving force behind the execution.

Additionally, few highlight this context: the evangelists wrote favorably toward Rome, and Saint Paul, the true architect of Christianity as a universal religion, was a Roman citizen. Framing this as a 21st-century anti-imperialist episode requires a leap unsupported by the text itself.

Who is Nicolás Maduro in religious matters?

He declares himself a practicing Catholic. Biographical data also points to paternal ancestry of Sephardic origin from Curaçao, and in 2012, it was reported that he trinc Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba. This mix—declared Christianity, Jewish heritage, and Eastern mysticism—is, at best, unconventional for someone correcting the timeline of the Roman Empire.

Why the episode is seen as a symptom, not an anecdote

Some dismiss it as an irrelevant outburst, while others see it as indicative of the current leadership class's level, where an anti-imperialist figure confuses historical empires. A third reading suggests the slip aligns with a specific political framework: presenting Spain as a permanent colonial power serves any rhetorical purpose.

There is also a temptation in some discussions to use this case to make hostile generalizations about Venezuelans and migrants. This is an unfounded leap: a historical error on a TV show reveals nothing about a collective.

If anyone finds the crucifixion record signed in Madrid, please publish it. Meanwhile, the only verifiable document is a video where the same man names two empires and gets only the non-existent one right.