In brief
United States prosecutors have added a conspiracy‑to‑commit‑torture charge against former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, building on earlier drug and weapons allegations. The couple has been in Brooklyn custody since January, following a U.S. raid on their Caracas compound. The indictment details a range of torture methods used against political opponents and U.S. citizens. Human‑rights groups echo similar claims from former detainees, and a house‑arrest request by Flores was denied. The trial is slated for June 2027.
Prosecutors in the United States have accused Venezuela's former president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores of conspiracy to commit torture.
These new charges were announced on Thursday, adding to the already‑filed drug‑trafficking, weapons and narco‑terrorism accusations that the duo have denied.
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, have been held in a Brooklyn detention centre since January, following a pre‑dawn raid by U.S. forces on their compound in Caracas.
Barry J Pollack, their attorney, said the couple disputes the latest allegation and is preparing for a court appearance scheduled for June 2027.
A request by Flores for house arrest was denied by a judge, meaning the pair remain in custody while the case proceeds.
The indictment alleges that the former president and his wife presided over a “system of repression” that used electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation and psychological threats to silence political opponents and U.S. citizens held in Venezuela.
Human‑rights organisations report that similar abuses were common during Maduro’s rule, with former detainees describing prolonged isolation and denial of contact with families.
After Maduro’s ouster, Vice‑President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim leader with support from the Trump administration; yet, UN officials have warned that torture continues in some prisons even under the new regime.
