United States authorities have filed additional charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, accusing them of overseeing a violent system of torture and repression.
Key points
- The updated indictment alleges the couple used torture, arbitrary detention, and violence to maintain political control and accumulate illicit wealth.
- Specific methods cited in the charges include electric shocks, asphyxiation, isolation, and psychological threats against political opponents and their families.
- Maduro and Flores have been imprisoned in New York since their capture during a U.S. military operation in Caracas in January.
- The defendants have pleaded not guilty to prior charges, while their legal teams argue presidential immunity and seek release due to medical concerns.
Why it matters
The addition of human rights abuses and torture charges significantly escalates the U.S. legal case against the former Venezuelan leadership, further complicating the ongoing criminal proceedings scheduled for trial in 2027.
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