Maduro Says He Is “Standing Firm” in First Photos From US Detention

NEW YORK — Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has said he is “standing firm” in a social media message accompanied by photographs taken inside the New York prison where he has been held since his capture by US forces.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized in Caracas during a US military operation in January. They are being held at a federal detention facility in Brooklyn and face US charges of drug trafficking and firearms possession, allegations both have denied.

In a message posted Sunday on Telegram, Maduro said the photographs were intended as a gesture to his family and supporters.

“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,” he wrote.

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

The two photographs show Maduro dressed in a gray tracksuit and making peace signs with both hands. He appears noticeably thinner than in earlier images taken before his detention.

Although the photographs were published Sunday, camera data indicates they were taken on June 25, one day after two deadly earthquakes struck northern Venezuela, killing more than 6,500 people and causing widespread destruction.

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

The message came two days after his successor, interim President Delcy Rodriguez, announced what she described as a “historic” oil agreement that would allow the United States to operate oil fields in Venezuela.

Rodriguez is governing amid significant pressure from Washington and has said she has chosen “the path of diplomacy” with the United States in an effort to position Venezuela as an “energy powerhouse.”

Limited Access in Detention

Maduro has limited access to communications while in detention. According to a source close to the former Venezuelan leader, he does not have access to newspapers or the internet but is permitted to speak with family members and lawyers by telephone for approximately 300 minutes each month, with individual calls limited to 15 minutes.

His son, Nicolas Maduro Guerra, has said his father is in good health and spends much of his time studying the Bible.

Maduro and Flores are scheduled to stand trial in the United States beginning June 1, 2027, according to a federal court announcement in New York in late July.

The case is expected to remain a major point of tension between Caracas and Washington as Venezuela's new leadership seeks to navigate relations with the United States while facing domestic and international scrutiny.