미-베네수 석유 협정 이틀후 사진 올린 ‘옥중’ 마두로…왜?

Nicolas Maduro, the former President of Venezuela, posted photographs of himself in jail on his social media account X, following the recent oil agreement between the United States and Venezuela. The interest in why he shared these images lies in the tense situation regarding the Venezuelan opposition's opinion of the oil deal. On June 25th, Maduro shared a photo on X with the title "A small gift of love and hope," accompanied by two images.

In one photo, he is seen smiling, wearing a white training suit, white sneakers, and holding a V-sign. Alongside the images, Maduro's message read, "I am sending this small gift to all my grandson and granddaughter, boys and girls, to all the noble people who love us." He added, "We stand firm in our hearts filled with your love," and "Love reached us through prayer, continuous actions, unity, and sincere support."

The timing of Maduro's photo posting coincides with the agreement, which was signed by US President Donald Trump on the 28th. Under the agreement, the United States takes control of half of Venezuela's oil reserves, developing 17 fields in return for securing 55% of the country's production. Opposition parties across Venezuela vehemently criticized the deal, and large protests have taken place in Caracas.

According to AFP, Maduro currently remains in the New York City Brooklyn Federal Detention Center, unable to access news or the internet. He can only receive phone calls from family and his lawyer, limited to 15 minutes per day and 300 minutes per month. Maduro's son, Nicolas Maduro Gera, stated that his father is healthy and spends his time reading the Bible.

The accounts of Maduro's attorneys suggest that the account is managed by his legal team. Maduro and his wife were kidnapped in Caracas and airlifted to the United States on January 3rd this year. They face four charges, while Maduro's wife faces three counts, including triple drug trafficking, except for the double drug trafficking charge.

Both deny all charges, claiming they were unlawfully kidnapped. Their criminal trial begins on June 1st next year.