Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have spoken publicly for the first time since their abduction by US forces, describing themselves as “steadfast” and “serene” in a message posted from detention.
The couple, held for nearly three months at a federal jail in Brooklyn, said they were drawing strength from supporters after a dramatic January raid that saw them taken from Caracas and flown to the United States to face criminal charges.
“We are well, steadfast, serene and in constant prayer,” the message read, posted to Maduro’s social media account, though it was unclear who shared it on their behalf.
Life inside a Brooklyn detention center
Since their abduction, Maduro and Flores have reportedly had no direct access to the internet or news, relying instead on limited phone calls with family and lawyers.
A source close to the Venezuelan government said Maduro spends time reading the Bible and is still referred to as “president” by some fellow detainees inside the Metropolitan Detention Center.
His son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, has said publicly that his father remains calm and physically active despite the conditions.
Legal battle and political fallout
Maduro, who has declared himself a “prisoner of war,” has pleaded not guilty to a string of charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and drug trafficking.
In a recent court hearing, a judge rejected a defense argument over legal funding constraints, as the case moves forward in New York.
The January operation that removed Maduro from power ended more than a decade of his rule and reshaped Venezuela’s political landscape, with former vice president Delcy Rodríguez now leading the country.
Rodríguez has since introduced sweeping changes, including an amnesty for political prisoners and reforms to the oil sector, as Caracas navigates a fragile transition and renewed ties with Washington.
A message to supporters
In their statement, Maduro and Flores praised what they described as the resilience of their supporters, expressing “deep admiration” for those who continue to show solidarity inside and outside Venezuela.
For now, the former leader remains behind bars in New York—far from the presidential palace he once controlled—as his legal and political future unfolds.
