Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro spends much of his time in a Brooklyn federal jail reading the Quran, the Bible and works of philosophy, according to a report citing people familiar with his detention. Maduro, 63, has also shown an interest in Judaism and met with a rabbi and a Catholic priest. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, 69, are awaiting trial in federal court.
Maduro, a practising Catholic, has previously described himself as a descendant of Sephardic Jews who moved from the Dutch Caribbean to Venezuela. People close to him said he began exploring Judaism after his capture. His interest in spirituality predates his detention. He and Flores followed Sathya Sai Baba, the late Indian spiritual teacher.
Cilia Flores’s lawyers raise health concerns
Both Maduro and Flores have lost weight in custody. People familiar with Maduro’s routine said he had grown visibly thinner and complained about the food. The account described Flores’s health as “unstable.” She was recovering from a hysterectomy when US forces seized the couple in January. Her lawyers suspect she suffered a mild heart attack in July while in custody.
Flores lost two molars and more than 11 kilograms, roughly 25 pounds, according to court filings from her lawyers. They said she has a longstanding heart valve condition and has gone without her usual monthly injection since her arrest. She takes nitroglycerin as needed for chest pain. Her lawyers said doctors had advised cardiac catheterisation, which could lead to further procedures.
Her lawyers asked to move her to home confinement under round-the-clock security. They acknowledged the quality of her medical care but argued that the jail lacked suitable conditions for recovery. Prosecutors opposed her release, saying she had received adequate care and posed a flight risk. US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied the request on October 8.
Maduro and Flores face June 2027 trial
US forces seized Maduro and Flores at their Caracas home on January 3 in a raid ordered by President Donald Trump. Authorities brought them to New York. Both have remained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since their capture.
Federal prosecutors initially brought drug trafficking and weapons charges. An October indictment added a charge of conspiracy to commit torture. Prosecutors allege the couple conspired to torture political opponents and US citizens. Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to the original charges and later entered not-guilty pleas to the new indictment.
The trial is due to begin on June 14, 2027, in Manhattan federal court. US District Judge Analisa Torres took over the case after Hellerstein died in October. Until then, the couple remain in pretrial custody in Brooklyn.
