{
  "id": 12897852,
  "title": "Venezuela's ex-leader Nicolás Maduro charged with conspiracy to commit torture",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/venezuelas-ex-leader-nicolas-maduro-charged-with-conspiracy-to-commit",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T15:43:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC World",
    "slug": "bbc-world",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5pvgn7xvxpzo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The US government has filed new charges against Venezuela's former leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, alleging conspiracy to commit torture. The accusations, unsealed on Thursday, build upon previous drug trafficking and weapons charges against the couple, which they have denied. Maduro and Flores have been held in custody since January, following a pre-dawn raid on their compound in Caracas. Human rights groups have long denounced the systematic torture practiced in Venezuelan jails. The latest accusations allege that the former presidential couple orchestrated a system of repression involving violence, arbitrary detention, and torture of detainees, including US citizens. The indictment claims the torture encompassed electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, punishment cells, and psychological torture, including threats to kill victims' families, including children. Prosecutors assert that the motivation for the repression was to maintain Maduro and Flores' power, with Flores allegedly playing a key role in developing the repressive system and ordering specific tortures to protect her family's illegal activities. The allegations mirror those made by released prisoners in Venezuela. The trial for Maduro and Flores is scheduled to commence in June 2027.",
  "summary": "The new accusations relate to the alleged torture of US citizens held in Venezuela while Maduro was in power.",
  "key_points": [
    "US charges Maduro and wife with conspiracy to commit torture",
    "Allegations include electric shock, rape, and psychological torture",
    "Trial set for June 2027"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 15,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "Nicolás Maduro’s wife to appear in court to push for release from New York jail",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/nicolas-maduros-wife-to-appear-in-court-to-push-for-release-from-new",
        "published": "2026-10-08T11:46:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBC News",
        "title": "Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, wife Celia Flores charged with torture in new indictment",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/ousted-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-wife-celia-flores-charged",
        "published": "2026-10-08T14:49:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Fortune",
        "title": "Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro faces new U.S. torture charges after 9 months in a New York jail",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/former-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-faces-new-u-s-torture",
        "published": "2026-10-08T15:09:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "US charges former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with torture",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/us-charges-former-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-with-torture",
        "published": "2026-10-08T15:19:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and his wife charged over torture allegations",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/venezuelas-nicolas-maduro-and-his-wife-charged-over-torture",
        "published": "2026-10-08T15:20:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Venezuela's ex-leader Nicolás Maduro charged with conspiracy to commit torture",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/venezuelas-ex-leader-nicolas-maduro-charged-with-conspiracy-to-commit-12898536",
        "published": "2026-10-08T15:43:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "Maduro and wife Flores face new charge of conspiracy to commit torture",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/maduro-and-wife-flores-face-new-charge-of-conspiracy-to-commit-torture",
        "published": "2026-10-08T15:50:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NPR",
        "title": "New U.S. indictment charges former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with torture",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/new-u-s-indictment-charges-former-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro",
        "published": "2026-10-08T16:05:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Nicolas Maduro, wife face torture charge in new U.S. indictment",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/nicolas-maduro-wife-face-torture-charge-in-new-u-s-indictment",
        "published": "2026-10-08T16:07:56.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
        "title": "Electric shocks, beatings: Maduro and wife accused of torture conspiracy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/electric-shocks-beatings-maduro-and-wife-accused-of-torture-conspiracy",
        "published": "2026-10-08T16:18:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Age",
        "title": "Electric shocks, beatings: Maduro and wife accused of torture conspiracy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/electric-shocks-beatings-maduro-and-wife-accused-of-torture-conspiracy-12903133",
        "published": "2026-10-08T16:18:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "US charges former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with torture",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/us-charges-former-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-with-torture-12907253",
        "published": "2026-10-08T16:20:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Venezuela’s ex-leader Nicolás Maduro charged with conspiracy to commit torture",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/venezuelas-ex-leader-nicolas-maduro-charged-with-conspiracy-to-commit-12907826",
        "published": "2026-10-08T16:28:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "People Daily Kenya",
        "title": "Venezuela’s ex-leader Nicolás Maduro charged with conspiracy to commit torture",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/venezuelas-ex-leader-nicolas-maduro-charged-with-conspiracy-to-commit",
        "published": "2026-10-08T16:55:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}