Nearly three months after being captured in a dramatic nighttime raid by US special forces, ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have issued their first public communication from federal custody, describing themselves as "steadfast, serene and in constant prayer" in a message shared on social media. The post, appearing on Maduro's X account on Saturday, March 28, marks the first time the public has heard directly from the former leader since his arraignment in New York on January 5. "We have received your communications, your messages, your emails, your letters and your prayers," the couple wrote. "Every word of love, every gesture of affection, every expression of support fills our souls and strengthens us spiritually".
In Harsh Conditions
The former president and his wife have been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn since their extraction from Caracas on January 3, a facility notorious for its "inhumane" conditions that have drawn repeated legal challenges and federal scrutiny. The prison, which previously held Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, has been documented to suffer from chronic staff shortages, violent incidents, lack of adequate medical care, and unsanitary conditions including food infested with maggots and mold-covered cells. During winter power outages, detainees have reportedly endured freezing conditions without heat for days at a time. Despite these deplorable circumstances, sources close to the Venezuelan government report that Maduro spends his time reading the Bible and that some fellow detainees continue to address him as "President" out of respect. He is permitted only 15-minute phone calls with family and legal counsel and remains cut off from newspapers and internet access.
"Prisoner of War"
Maduro, who has declared himself a "prisoner of war" unlawfully seized by foreign forces, has not spoken publicly since his initial court appearance in Manhattan. During a one-hour hearing on March 26, a federal judge rejected a defense motion regarding the couple's inability to afford legal representation without assistance from the Venezuelan government, assistance blocked by the very sanctions the United States has imposed. Neither Maduro nor Flores spoke during the proceeding. The former president faces four charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy, to which he has pleaded not guilty. His son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, known as "Nicolasito," has publicly maintained that his father remains calm and even exercises regularly during his limited recreation time.
Venezuela's Transformation
Since the January operation that deposed Maduro after more than a decade of rule, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has assumed leadership and moved swiftly to align Venezuela with Washington's demands. Rodríguez has enacted a sweeping amnesty law that has already freed hundreds of political prisoners, reformed oil and mining regulations to permit private investment, breaking with the Chavista model of national sovereignty and ordered the closure of the notorious Helicoide detention center, transforming it into a cultural space. The United States formally reopened its embassy in Caracas on March 29 after seven years of closure, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio praising what he called "the kind of stability that brings businesses back".