Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have shared their first social media message from a US prison, saying they feel “steadfast” and “serene” nearly three months after being captured by American forces in a dramatic January raid.
Maduro and Flores have been held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn since their extraction from Caracas in early January, with limited access to communication, reportedly cut off from the internet and newspapers.
“We are well, steadfast, serene and in constant prayer,” the couple said in a message shared on Maduro’s X account, though it was unclear who posted it on their behalf.
“We have received your communications, your messages, your emails, your letters and your prayers. Every word of love, every gesture of affection, every expression of support fills our souls and strengthens us spiritually.”
A source close to the Venezuelan government said Maduro reads the Bible and is sometimes referred to as “president” by fellow detainees at the detention centre. He is permitted limited phone contact with his family and lawyers, with calls capped at 15 minutes.
His son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, has publicly maintained that his father is calm and even keeps up exercise routines while incarcerated.
Maduro, who has styled himself a “prisoner of war,” had not spoken publicly since being arraigned in New York on January 5, where he pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including narco‑terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
“We feel a deep admiration for our people’s ability to remain united in difficult times, to express love, awareness, and solidarity, within Venezuela and beyond our borders,” the couple added in Saturday’s post.
During a court hearing this week, a judge denied a defence motion related to Maduro and Flores’s ability to afford their legal defence without assistance from the Venezuelan government; neither spoke at the session.
Since the January operation that removed Maduro from power after more than a decade at Venezuela’s helm, his former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has taken over leadership in Caracas, pushing through an amnesty law for political prisoners and reforming oil and mining rules in line with US demands.