Venezuela's former president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have issued their first public message from detention in New York, stating they are "calm" and in good health. According to reports, the couple posted a message on Maduro's X account saying, "All support fills our souls and strengthens us spiritually" in a greeting to their supporters. It remains unclear who posted the message on their behalf.
Maduro and Flores have reportedly been held for nearly three months at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. A source close to the Venezuelan regime told AFP that Maduro reads the Bible and is called "president" by some of his fellow inmates. He is reportedly only allowed to speak with his family and lawyers by phone, with calls limited to 15 minutes each.
All support fills our souls and strengthens us spiritually
The couple was allegedly apprehended by U.S. forces during a nighttime raid at their home in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, in early January. Both sources describe Maduro as Venezuela's "deposed president," though the exact circumstances of his removal from power are not detailed in the available reports.