Nicolás Maduro has released the first photos of himself from a New York federal detention facility, eight months after he was captured in a special U.S. operation and brought to the United States.
The images show the ousted Venezuelan president smiling, dressed in athletic clothing and flashing a victory sign with his hands. They are the first photos of Maduro to emerge from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he has been held since January alongside his wife, Cilia Flores.
“I want you to know that we are standing firm,” Maduro wrote in a message accompanying the photos.
In another post, Maduro said he was sending the pictures as a “small gift” to his grandchildren and supporters, thanking them for “every word, every gesture and every blessing.”
According to those close to Maduro, the photographs were actually taken on June 25, around Father’s Day, but only reached his family by mail this week.
Maduro is facing four charges in the United States related to narco-terrorism and has denied the allegations against him.
During his first court appearance in January, Maduro declared, “I am innocent. I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country.”
He subsequently described himself as a “prisoner of war.”
Maduro and Flores are expected to go on trial in June 2027.
The release of the prison photographs comes as Venezuela and the United States have reached a massive oil agreement under which the U.S. will control 65 billion barrels of the country’s oil reserves.
{Matzav.com}
