Maduro and wife face additional US torture conspiracy charge
Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores face a new torture conspiracy charge, while Flores is seeking release on bail for a cardiac procedure.
New York, United States. Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were charged on Thursday with conspiracy to commit torture over allegations that they tortured political opponents to retain power in Venezuela. The additional count was included in a superseding indictment filed in Manhattan federal court, alongside the drug trafficking charges they already faced.
Capture and scheduled trial
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were captured by the US military at their Caracas home on January 3 and brought to New York to face the drug charges.
The surprise raid ended the socialist leader’s 13 years in power in oil-rich Venezuela. The country has since increased cooperation with the United States under Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez.
Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to the drug charges and have been held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since their capture. Their trial is scheduled for June 1, 2027.
Flores seeks release for medical treatment
Separately, Flores is expected to appear in Manhattan federal court on Thursday to seek release from jail on health grounds while awaiting her drug trafficking trial next year.
At a hearing scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT), her lawyers are expected to ask US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to grant bail so she can undergo a cardiac procedure and recover in a more comfortable environment.
The lawyers proposed that Flores move to a residence in the New York City area with round-the-clock private security. They said she poses no danger to the community and that Venezuela’s government would cover the costs. The United States has authorized the Venezuelan government to pay the legal fees of both Flores and Maduro.
Prosecutors oppose bail
Prosecutors in the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office oppose Flores’ release, saying she has received adequate medical care at the detention center.
They argued that releasing her would pose an “extreme” risk of flight and a danger to the public, including possible witness intimidation.
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