Nicolás Maduro Issues First Message from New York Prison Since January Capture

Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores broke nearly three months of silence on March 28, 2026, issuing their first joint message from a maximum-security prison in Brooklyn, New York, where they have been held since their capture by United States forces in Caracas on January 3, 2026. The couple posted the statement simultaneously on X and Telegram, describing themselves as "well, firm, serene and in permanent prayer" and thanking supporters for messages, letters, and prayers sent during their imprisonment. The message arrived two days after a federal court hearing in Manhattan, where Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected a defense request to dismiss the drug trafficking charges against them. Until the statement's release, the only public updates on Maduro's condition had come from his son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, who had reported at public events that his father was exercising in prison and remained in good spirits.

Four charges remain, legal fees dispute unresolved Maduro faces four charges in the New York proceedings, including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine importation. Cilia Flores faces separate but related charges involving drug trafficking conspiracy and weapons possession. At the Thursday hearing, Judge Hellerstein questioned aspects of United States sanctions that complicate the couple's access to funds for their private legal defense, but ruled that proceedings should continue. Maduro's lawyer, Barry Pollack, had warned in February that he might be forced to withdraw from the case if the US government did not allow Venezuela to pay his fees, arguing that the restriction violates Maduro's constitutional right to counsel. The Treasury Department had granted and then withdrawn a license that would have permitted Caracas to cover those legal costs. Both Maduro and Flores remain on the US sanctions list, requiring their legal team to obtain special permits before accepting payment from Venezuelan government sources.

Maduro endorses Rodríguez's political opening from his cell In the statement, Maduro and Flores explicitly backed the political course being pursued by acting president Delcy Rodríguez, calling on Venezuelans to continue "consolidating the peace of the country, national unity, reconciliation, forgiveness and reunion." The message quoted the Gospel of Saint Luke and was first published on the portal of the government-aligned United Socialist Party of Venezuela before spreading across social media. Rodríguez, who assumed power on January 3 following Maduro's removal, has navigated a difficult path between maintaining the Chavista regime's structure and making concessions to both the Venezuelan opposition and the United States. According to Deutsche Welle, Rodríguez did not echo the message publicly until Friday, when she asked for prayers for the couple at an event with evangelical groups. Sources close to Maduro told AFP that he is held in isolation without internet access or newspapers, is permitted one hour in the yard per day, and may speak by telephone with family and lawyers for a maximum of 15 minutes per call.

Maduro came to the Venezuelan presidency in 2013 following the death of Hugo Chávez, under whom both he and Cilia Flores had built their political careers as members of the National Constituent Assembly installed in Venezuela in 1999. Over more than a decade in power, Maduro oversaw the tightening of state repression through agencies including the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence, which arrested hundreds of civilians and military personnel labeled as dissidents. The US military operation on January 3, 2026, which included bombings in Caracas, resulted in more than a hundred deaths according to reporting cited by Europa Press, and ended with Maduro and Flores being transported to the United States to face charges that had been pending for years.

Venezuelan delegation meets US officials as Caracas pivots toward Washington On the same day as the Manhattan court hearing, a Venezuelan diplomatic delegation arrived in Washington to resume formal diplomatic presence in the US capital. The mission was headed by Félix Plasencia, Venezuela's chargé d'affaires, and Oliver Blanco, vice minister for Europe and North America. The delegation met with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, according to posts the officials published on their own social media accounts. The meeting signaled a significant shift in the posture of Rodríguez's acting government, which has moved to rebuild ties with the Trump administration since taking power in January. Maduro's first public statement since his capture made no direct reference to the trial proceedings or to the diplomatic contacts underway in Washington, focusing instead on calls for dialogue and national unity inside Venezuela.

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