US charges former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with torture

The United States has brought charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for alleged involvement in the torture of citizens to maintain his grip on power. The newly unsealed indictment, filed on Thursday, amplifies the pressure on the ousted authoritarian leader, who is currently grappling with drug trafficking charges. In addition to the torture allegations, Maduro is accused of participating in a conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the United States.

Maduro's indictment also names his wife, Cilia Flores, accusing her of conspiring with her husband to use torture, arbitrary detention, and violence as a means of suppressing political opposition during her time as Venezuela's first lady. The revised indictment alleges that the couple maintained power by instilling fear in perceived opponents through persecution and violence, leading to the harassment, threat, arrest, prosecution, assault, torture, or death of thousands of Venezuelans.

The charges include reports of electric shocks, beatings, and asphyxiation inflicted upon prisoners at Maduro's direction. It is further alleged that Maduro signed off on methods of torture and personally threatened the death of a prisoner's child as a form of psychological torture. Both Maduro and Flores were apprehended by US forces in a midnight raid on their home in Caracas earlier this year and have been held in New York since then.

Flor's legal team argued for her release under house arrest due to her heart problems, stating she suffers from permanent scarring and has lost significant weight while incarcerated. Her attorneys contend she requires medical attention that cannot be provided in jail. Prosecutors, however, opposed the bail request, arguing that Flores poses a significant flight risk and danger to the public.