As Venezuela heads to the polls on Sunday for presidential elections, President Nicolás Maduro is turning to an unlikely ally: the Pentecostal churches. While Pentecostal congregations across Latin America often support right-wing politicians, in Venezuela, the authoritarian leftist President Maduro has garnered substantial goodwill from these evangelical communities.

In the “Light of the World” church in the Los Jardines del Valle neighborhood, children run around in festive clothing after a wedding ceremony officiated by Marbelly Mogollon, the church’s female pastor. In the lead-up to Sunday’s elections, Mogollon’s church has been bustling with social activities, culminating in a prayer service on election day for “peace, safety, and prosperity” for all Venezuelans. Mogollon believes another six years of Maduro’s leadership is necessary for the country’s well-being.

Maduro, with his United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), has consolidated control over the government and military. Institutions like the Supreme Court and the Electoral Council are dominated by chavistas, and the opposition has been sidelined or barred from previous elections. Human rights organizations estimate that around 300 political prisoners are currently detained.

Despite these issues, Mogollon views Maduro differently. “The outside world labels him a dictator, but he has a big, social heart. He is a man of faith, one of us,” she says. Her church has benefited from government programs like the “Good Shepherd Bonus” and “My Well-Equipped Church,” which provide funding, furniture, and other resources to Pentecostal congregations.

Maduro’s engagement with evangelical churches is strategic, especially as independent polls suggest he could face a significant defeat if the elections are fair. Earlier this year, popular opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was excluded from participating. However, the united opposition is running a strong candidate, former diplomat Edmundo González.

In Venezuela’s working-class neighborhoods, where Pentecostal churches are growing rapidly, Maduro’s outreach appears to be paying off. Community member Yenny Quintero appreciates the support her church receives from the government, which provides English classes, childcare, and food distribution in the neighborhood. 

While Pentecostal churches in other Latin American countries typically align with right-wing and conservative governments, their support for Maduro highlights a unique alliance. According to researcher David Smilde, this relationship began under Hugo Chávez, who sought connections with evangelical churches to counterbalance the Catholic Church’s support for neoliberal policies in the 1990s. Whether Maduro’s efforts will translate into electoral success remains to be seen, but the alliance with evangelical churches underscores the complexities of Venezuelan politics.