Venezuela’s Maduro shares first photos from US detention

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has posted two photographs that appear to show him in a United States detention centre, where he has been held since his January abduction.

US special forces abducted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and flew them to the US. The pair are being held in a facility in Brooklyn, New York, on drug trafficking and firearm possession charges, which they deny.

“I am sending these photos as a small gift to all my grandchildren, to the boys and girls, and to all the good people who love us,” Maduro wrote in Spanish on the social media platforms X and Telegram .

“I want you to know that we are standing firm, with our hearts full of your love,” he added.

“We will remain strong, calm and confident: God is with us. God will provide. Venezuela will rise again.”

The two pictures, Maduro’s first photos from US detention, show him wearing a grey tracksuit and making peace signs with his hands. He appears to have lost considerable weight since his capture.

The posts were published on Sunday, but the timestamp on both pictures indicates they were taken on June 25, a day after twin deadly earthquakes killed more than 6,500 people and caused widespread destruction in northern Venezuela.

The AFP news agency said it had attempted to contact the detention centre to find out if the photos were authentic and had been authorised, but did not receive a response immediately.