Wife of ex-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro seeks release from US jail

New York (AP) — The wife of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is set to return to court on Thursday, where her legal team will argue for her release from jail and confinement to her home due to her heart issues. The first annual payment for a subscription, billed at $205.00 plus GST for one year, includes a 10% discount off the regular annual price of $259.35.

This arrangement is only available to new and qualified returning subscribers, with the option to cancel at any time. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been incarcerated in New York since an early January raid, where they were seized from their home in Caracas. Both have pleaded not guilty in a criminal case that dates back six years, accusing them of being part of a conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States.

They face potential life sentences if found guilty. The defense attorneys for Flores, 69, contend that she has heart problems that cannot be adequately treated in jail, and she may require heart surgery. They also allege that she has endured permanent scarring from being "thrown against a wall or dresser" during the U.S. military operation that led to her capture.

Her health has reportedly worsened, with her losing 25 pounds while in custody and experiencing symptoms such as lightheadedness, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Additionally, Flores may have suffered a minor heart attack in July. The prosecution opposes the bail request, arguing that Flores poses an "extreme risk of flight and danger to the public" if released.

They also note that she has been taken to a local hospital for treatment when medical care was needed. Trump's administration defended the raid to apprehend Maduro as a "surgical law enforcement operation," while Maduro himself has proclaimed himself a prisoner of war and called his capture a kidnapping. Flores is charged with participating in a cocaine importation conspiracy with her husband, who served as Venezuela's president from 2013 until his capture by American forces in January.

Her defense attorneys assert that Flores is not a flight risk, as she is "intent on supporting her husband with her constant presence."