Maduro and Cilia Flores will appear before New York judge on new charges of torture and narco-terrorism

Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores will appear on Thursday, October 15 before federal judge Alvin Hellerstein of the South District of New York at 11: 00 local time to respond to new accusations from the U.S. Public Prosecutor’s Office. United States.

The indictment, filed on 8 October, extends the charges against both of them by including conspiracy to commit torture and, for the first time, incorporates Cilia Flores into the crime of narco-terrorism, a charge that already weighed on Maduro.

According to federal prosecutors, Maduro, Flores and members of his close circle had maintained for approximately 25 years a repressive structure that used violence and torture to preserve power in Venezuela. The judicial document describes practices such as electric shocks, asphyxiation, prolonged isolation, food deprivation, sexual assault and threats against victims’ families.

The prosecutors claim that these actions were directed against persons considered to be opponents of the regime, as part of a system designed to intimidate and punish those who posed a threat to the stay in power.
The hearing will allow the formalization of the new charges and provide the accused with an opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty. In addition, Maduro and Flores continue to face charges for alleged drug trafficking operations and weapons-related crimes.

On 8 October, the same judge Hellerstein rejected the request for house arrest submitted by the Cilia Flores defence, which requested to replace his detention in a federal prison for health reasons. The lawyers of the accused have a dispute with the Office of the Prosecutor over the recognition of immunity, a position that the Department of Justice has requested to dismiss.

The defence has until 16 October to submit its response to the prosecutors’ position, and a hearing is scheduled on 17 November to examine the immunity arguments.

The trial against Maduro y Flores is scheduled for 1 June 2027; the appearance of this Thursday will be the first time that both will have to respond to new allegations of torture in court.

Laura Artal is a Venezuelan journalist and television presenter with an outstanding media record dedicated to the coverage of political, social and international news. He has worked on important information platforms for the Hispanic audience in the United States and Latin America, consolidating himself as a recognized voice in the coverage of issues related to Venezuela, migration, human rights and relations between the US. United States and Latin America. In addition to its work on television, it develops digital content and audiovisual projects, maintaining a strong commitment to journalism, freedom of expression and access to information.