Recent developments surrounding Venezuela’s leadership have renewed attention on the country’s links to Indian spirituality. Amid reports of the detention of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by the United States, it has again surfaced that the Venezuelan leadership has long shown devotion to Indian spiritual guru Sathya Sai Baba. What is less widely known is that Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, who is currently serving as Venezuela’s acting President, is also a follower of Sathya Sai Baba and has personally visited his ashram in India on multiple occasions.
According to information available on the website and official YouTube channel of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Delcy Rodriguez has visited Prasanthi Nilayam, the spiritual headquarters and samadhi shrine of Sathya Sai Baba, located in Puttaparthi, twice in recent years. Her visits took place in August 2023 and again in October 2024, highlighting her continued personal connection with the ashram.
The most recent visit occurred on October 26, 2024, when Rodriguez, who was then serving as Venezuela’s Executive Vice President, travelled to Prasanthi Nilayam to offer her prayers and pay homage to Sathya Sai Baba. She was accompanied by Capaya Rodriguez Gonzalez, Venezuela’s Ambassador to India. The visit was formally acknowledged in a press release issued by the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, which manages the ashram and associated institutions.
During the visit, Rodriguez was received by R J Rathnakar, the Managing Trustee of the Trust, who personally guided her through the ashram complex. She spent time at key spiritual sites within Prasanthi Nilayam, including the Sanctum Sanctorum and Shanthi Bhavan. According to the Trust, Rodriguez expressed deep happiness at returning to the ashram and said that being in the presence of Sathya Sai Baba’s samadhi gave her a profound sense of calm, peace, and inner tranquillity.
Her October 2024 visit followed an earlier trip on August 5, 2023, when Rodriguez visited Prasanthi Nilayam while she was in India as part of a Venezuelan delegation attending the G20 Summit. That visit was described by the Trust as personal in nature, undertaken specifically to pay respects to Sathya Sai Baba, even as the official delegation was in the country to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between India and Venezuela. During that visit as well, Rodriguez spent time in the Sanctum Sanctorum and Shanthi Bhavan and spoke about the serenity she experienced at the ashram.
The Trust’s YouTube channel also notes that other Venezuelan ministers accompanying Rodriguez during her official engagements had previously visited Prasanthi Nilayam in October 2019, suggesting a broader familiarity among Venezuelan officials with the Sai spiritual movement. This connection aligns with observations by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, which has noted that several spiritual and cultural centres in Venezuela have been established by Indian gurus and organisations, including followers of Sathya Sai Baba, the Brahma Kumaris, and the Radha Swami movement.
Prasanthi Nilayam, located in Puttaparthi, is the main ashram and spiritual headquarters of Sathya Sai Baba. It houses his Samadhi Mandir and functions as a global centre for prayer, service, and spiritual gatherings, attracting devotees from across the world. Rodriguez’s repeated visits underscore the reach of Sai Baba’s spiritual influence far beyond India and reflect a personal dimension of faith within Venezuela’s political leadership.
