Pope Leo XIV urged the U.S. not to move forward with a military incursion in Venezuela on Tuesday, instead recommending the Trump administration “seek dialogue” to avoid escalation.

“There is this danger, this possibility, that there could be an action, an operation, including an invasion of Venezuelan territory,” the pope told reporters in Spanish while returning from a trip to Beirut. “I again believe it is better to seek dialogue within this pressure, including economic pressure, but looking for another way to bring about change, if that is what the United States decides to do.”

His comments come as President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, ordering the airspace above the South American country closed on Saturday. His administration is also facing scrutiny over a series of airstrikes that have killed dozens of people on vessels allegedly carrying narcotics, some of which reportedly originated from Venezuela.

Leo, who spent several years as a bishop in Peru before being elected the first American pope in May, has been guarded in his criticisms of the Trump administration. But he has found himself at odds with the White House on at least one other occasion, suggesting in September that those who support the “inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States” may not be “pro life.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Leo’s remarks.

Asked Sunday evening whether the airspace closure signaled an imminent strike against Venezuela, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One to not “read anything into it.” Trump confirmed that he spoke with Maduro last week but declined to comment on the details of the conversation.

Trump also met with senior military and national security officials Monday evening in the Oval Office to discuss options regarding operations in Venezuela.