Venezuela’s ex-leader Nicolás Maduro charged with conspiracy to commit torture

According to prosecutors in the United States, former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been charged with conspiracy to commit torture. This additional charge follows the existing drug-trafficking and weapons charges they already face, which they have denied. Maduro and Flores have been in custody since January after being captured in a pre-dawn raid on their compound in Caracas, Venezuela.

Human rights groups and former prisoners have long criticized the "systematic torture" in Venezuelan jails. The trial for both individuals is scheduled to commence in June 2027. Both are currently held in a detention center in Brooklyn, with Flores's request for house arrest being denied by a judge. The new accusations pertain to the alleged torture of US citizens held in Venezuela during Maduro's presidency.

The indictment alleges instances of electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, and prolonged isolation among the methods of torture. Prosecutors claim that the psychological torture involved threats against victims' families, including children. Flores allegedly played a significant role in the creation of the repressive system, ordering torture and receiving updates on specific prisoners' conditions.

The prosecution asserts that the motivation behind the repression was to maintain Maduro and Flores' power. These allegations align with those previously made by released prisoners. Human rights organizations and former inmates have long denounced the "systematic torture" in Venezuelan prisons. Despite Maduro's removal from power, over 300 political prisoners remain in custody, according to the human rights group Foro Penal.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concern over continued reports of torture in Venezuelan detention facilities even after Maduro's ouster.