Maduro’s Wife Seeks Jail Release Over Heart Condition 

Cilia Flores, the wife of ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, is suffering from a “very delicate” heart condition, prompting renewed calls for her release from United States custody.

Maduro’s son, Nicolas Maduro Guerra, told AFP on Monday that Flores is suffering from a “prolapsed” heart, a condition that, in rare, severe cases, can cause heart failure.

He said she needs surgery and should be released from prison to allow her to recover properly afterwards.

Flores, 69, was arrested alongside Maduro during a US military raid in Caracas on January 3 and taken to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. She is being held at a federal prison in Brooklyn, New York, where Maduro, 63, is also detained.

Last month, Flores’ lawyer, Mark Donnelly, asked a US court to place her under house arrest, arguing that her heart condition requires medical care that is not adequately available under her current prison conditions.

Donnelly proposed strict conditions for her release, including round-the-clock armed surveillance, electronic monitoring and the seizure of Flores’ passport.

The US government opposed the request, arguing that Flores presents an extreme flight risk and poses a danger to the public.

Flores, a former president of Venezuela’s National Assembly and former attorney general, was considered a key figure in Maduro’s government, which faced accusations of widespread repression.

US prosecutors accuse Flores and Maduro of helping traffic cocaine into the United States, allegations both have denied. The pair are scheduled to stand trial on June 1, 2027.

Maduro has also asked the court to dismiss the charges against him, arguing that he is protected by immunity as Venezuela’s head of state.

Flores has previously faced scrutiny in the United States over the arrest of two of her nephews in Haiti in 2015 on cocaine trafficking charges. Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas and Efrain Antonio Campos Flores were each sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2017 before being released in 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange under former US President Joe Biden.

Following Maduro’s ouster, his former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, became interim president with the backing of US President Donald Trump.

Rodriguez has signalled a willingness to work with Trump’s agenda for Venezuela, including his push to gain greater control over the country’s vast oil reserves.