Venezuela’s Maduro shares first photos from US detention

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has posted two photographs that appear to show him in a United States detention centre, where he has been held since his January abduction.

US special forces abducted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and flew them to the US. The pair are being held in a facility in Brooklyn, New York, on drug trafficking and firearm possession charges, which they deny.

“I am sending these photos as a small gift to all my grandchildren, to the boys and girls, and to all the good people who love us,” Maduro wrote in Spanish on the social media platforms X and Telegram.

“I want you to know that we are standing firm, with our hearts full of your love,” he added.

“We will remain strong, calm and confident: God is with us. God will provide. Venezuela will rise again.”

The two pictures, Maduro’s first photos from US detention, show him wearing a grey tracksuit and making peace signs with his hands. He appears to have lost considerable weight since his capture.

The posts were published on Sunday, but the timestamp on both pictures indicates they were taken on June 25, a day after twin deadly earthquakes killed more than 6,500 people and caused widespread destruction in northern Venezuela.

The AFP news agency said it had attempted to contact the detention centre to find out if the photos were authentic and had been authorised, but did not receive a response immediately.

The message was published two days after Maduro’s successor, interim President Delcy Rodriguez, announced a “historic” oil agreement allowing the US to operate oil fields in Venezuela.

Maduro does not have access to newspapers or the internet in prison, but he is allowed to speak by phone with his family and lawyers for approximately 300 minutes a month, with a maximum of 15 minutes per call, according to a source close to the former leader.

Maduro and his wife’s trial in the US is due to begin on 1 June 2027, a federal court in New York announced in late July.