Worsening Heart Condition Leads Maduro’s Wife to Request Detention Facility for Court Appearance
News Summary
Prepared after review.
- Venezuela’s former First Lady, Cilia Flores de Maduro, has requested release from US federal custody, citing deterioration of her heart health.
- Her attorneys have asked the judge to allow her to be held under home detention in Manhattan to prepare for her trial.
- Lawyers claim her health worsened following detention, noting the absence of her regular monthly injections and doctors’ recommendation for heart surgery.
September 11, Kathmandu – Cilia Flores de Maduro, former First Lady of Venezuela, has petitioned the US court for release from federal custody, citing a decline in her heart condition since being detained.
According to Al Jazeera, the request was submitted on Wednesday, with her lawyers asking for permission to keep Flores under house arrest at her Manhattan residence to allow her to prepare for her trial.
Her lawyers state that her health deteriorated after she and her husband, former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, were seized by a US team on January 3 from Caracas and detained in a New York jail.
Health Issues and Need for Surgery
The petition notes that prior to any US military intervention in Venezuela, Flores was in good health and only needed monthly injections to control mitral valve prolapse.
Currently, she has been prescribed four types of medication and must always carry nitroglycerin to avoid potential heart attacks. Physicians have recommended coronary evaluations and heart surgery.
Following consultations with external specialists, her lawyers noted on July 29 that she likely suffered a mild heart attack while in detention.
They report complaints of stress and missing her monthly injection, stating she is not receiving adequate treatment for her heart valve condition.
Instead of her monthly injection, she has been prescribed baby aspirin, statins, diltiazem, and nitroglycerin; and doctors have advised surgery. Her attorneys emphasize the necessity of appropriate time and environment for her recovery.
What Does Home Detention Entail?
The petition registered on Wednesday acknowledges that Flores receives excellent medical treatment but alleges the detention center lacks adequate health facilities.
Her lawyers have requested that she be transferred from Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center to a residence near the federal courthouse in Manhattan, where the trial against her and Maduro is scheduled for June next year.
Under home detention, she would be under 24-hour armed security monitoring, with meetings allowed only with court and federal prosecutors’ permission.
Her residence would be equipped with video surveillance and phone calls would be recorded. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein has yet to rule on this request.
Background and US Charges
From 2013, during Nicolas Maduro’s presidency, Flores served as a key government leader. Prior to Maduro’s presidency, she was a top leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela and served as speaker of the National Assembly.
The Maduro administration had a long-standing dispute with the Donald Trump government, which accused Venezuela of being a professional drug trafficking nation.
Both Maduro and Flores faced allegations of political dissent and human rights violations.
They were captured in a tactical operation in January 2023, after which drug trafficking and weapons-related charges were filed. Flores, 69, and Maduro, 63, remain in US custody.
They deny involvement in any cocaine smuggling conspiracy in the United States.
