Maduro’s jailed wife seeks release over heart condition

Venezuelan former first lady Cilia Flores is seeking release from her US prison to receive treatment for a heart condition, her son-in-law told AFP on Monday. Flores, 69, was arrested alongside her husband, former President Nicolas Maduro, during a US raid in Caracas on January 3. She is currently being held in a federal prison in Brooklyn, New York, alongside Maduro, who is also accused of drug trafficking charges.

Last month, her lawyer requested that Flores be placed under house arrest due to her heart problems, but the US government opposed the request, citing a high risk of her fleeing and posing a danger to the public. Her son, Nicolas Maduro Guerra, revealed that she has a prolapsed heart, which may require surgery, and argued that she should be released to recuperate.

Flores, a former president of the National Assembly, has been accused of aiding cocaine trafficking into the US, a claim she and her husband deny. Both are scheduled to go on trial on June 1, 2027, and Maduro has requested the charges be dismissed under his presidential immunity.