Venezuela’s interim Prez visited Sai Baba ashram multiple times
BENGALURU: Delcy Eloina Rodriguez, who has become Venezuela’s interim president after the removal of Nicolas Maduro, visited Prashanthi Nilayam, Sathya Sai Baba’s ashram in Puttaparthi multiple times, indicating a spiritual link with the Indian spiritual leader. However, the Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSCT), which is in-charge of all the affairs, maintains that they cannot comment much on individual devotees given the vast number of followers Baba had.
Rodriguez’s association with Sai Baba has drawn attention amid Venezuela’s current political turbulence and shows a broader pattern among Venezuela’s recent leadership. Her predecessor, Maduro, and his wife Cilia Flores were previously known to have been followers of Sai Baba. One SSCT trustee told TOI: “I know Maduro and his wife were Baba’s devotees. But that said, not everybody who believes in Baba follows everything he has taught us.” Maduro’s connection dates back to mig-aughts.Multiple pictures of Rodriguez — who served as Venezuela’s vice president before ascending to the acting presidency when the Supreme Court ruled that Maduro was temporarily unable to fulfil his duties — that surfaced Tuesday shows here at Prashanthi Nilayam.While her personal visits to the ashram have been confirmed, SSCT managing trustee RJ Ratnakar told TOI: “…We have nothing much to say on this. As you can understand, many come to Baba out of faith. We would not know all of them personally.”While reports suggest that Rodriguez first visited Puttaparthi in Aug 2023, she may have been coming to India from much earlier. TOI accessed a video by the official channel of the Sri Sathya Sai Media Centre, which confirms her visit to Prasanthi Nilayam to offer respects to Sai Baba on Aug 5, 2023. She visited along with Capaya Rodriguez, Ambassador of Venezuela to India.“…The ministers who are in India currently participating in G20 Summit to strengthen the cordial relations between India and Venezuela and to improve the trade and economy between the two nations, have come to Puttaparthi on a personal visit to pay their revered obeisances to Sri Sathya Sai Baba… The ministers visited Prasanthi Nilayam last time on Oct 29, 2019,” a description along with the video reads.Maduro had appointed Rodriguez as his vice president in 2018, while she had held many portfolios before that. Rodriguez is said to have visited Prashanthi Nilayam again in Oct 2024, but there is no confirmation on whether she was here any time last year (2025).
