In brief
Prosecutors in the United States have added conspiracy to commit torture to the charges already facing former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The indictment alleges that the couple ordered and monitored torture of American detainees while Maduro ruled, employing electric shocks, asphyxiation, forced nudity and psychological torment. Both men have been held in a Brooklyn detention centre since a January raid, and a judge denied Flores’s request for house arrest. The trial is scheduled for June 2027, with prosecutors calling the actions a ‘primacy of corruption’ that harmed U.S. citizens. Human rights groups echo these accusations, noting ongoing reports of torture in Venezuela even after Maduro’s ouster.
U.S. prosecutors have added conspiracy to commit torture to the existing drug‑trafficking and narco‑terrorism charges against former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
The indictment, made public Thursday, alleges the couple directed a system of repression that included electric shocks, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity and prolonged isolation against detained American citizens while Maduro ruled. Prosecutors say “these acts were aimed at preserving the regime’s power” and caused “significant harm” to U.S. nationals.
Maduro (63) and Flores (69) have been in custody at a Brooklyn detention centre since a pre‑dawn raid on their Caracas compound in January. A judge denied Flores’s request for house arrest, and both remain held pending a trial set for June 2027.
The allegations echo long‑standing human rights complaints from Venezuelan political prisoners and UN reports that torture continues in state facilities even after the regime change. Human rights groups stress that the indictment reflects a broader pattern of state‑run brutality against political opposition.
If convicted, the pair could face extensive prison terms under U.S. law. The case underscores the international community’s focus on accountability for Venezuela’s years of documented human rights abuses.
