The ousted chavista narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro reappeared this Sunday on his social media with new photographs taken during his detention in the United States and a message directed to his followers, while he remains confined in New York awaiting the progress of the judicial process against him on charges related to narco-terrorism.
The images, dated June 25, show Maduro dressed in gray pants and a sweatshirt inside the penitentiary facility. They were disseminated from his official accounts and later replicated by chavista leaders, members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), and his son, the deputy Nicolás Maduro Guerra.
One of the photos posted on social media by the former chavista dictator.
“I send these photos as a small gift to all my grandchildren, to the boys and girls, and to all the noble people who love us,” expressed the former Venezuelan president.
Maduro also referred to his situation in the United States and sought to convey a message of resistance to his followers. “I want you to know that we are firm, with our hearts filled with your love,” he wrote, before thanking the supposed expressions of support received since his capture.
The post also included a reference to his wife, Cilia Flores, detained alongside him. “Cilia and I embrace you forever, with our souls dedicated to you and with our faith intact in God,” he noted.
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The reappearance occurred just days after the United States and Venezuela announced a broad oil agreement that deepens the political and economic reorganization initiated after Maduro's fall. The interim Venezuelan president, Delcy Rodríguez, reported that the agreement will last for 25 years and contemplates a production target of over 1.5 million barrels per day.
The former chavista leader faces charges in New York for conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and weapons-related offenses. Flores, for her part, is accused of charges related to drug importation and possession of weapons.
In one of the latest hearings of the case, the prosecution and the defense presented to federal judge Alvin Hellerstein a schedule of pre-trial motions and the possibility that the trial could begin in June 2027. Maduro's defense also indicated that it will attempt to argue that the former president has immunity.
