Venezuelan former leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been hit with fresh charges in the United States over an alleged conspiracy to commit torture.
The new charges were made public on Thursday and were added to existing US cases accusing the couple of drug trafficking and weapons-related offences, allegations they have denied.
Key Highlights
- Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face new US charges of conspiracy to commit torture.
- The charges add to existing drug trafficking and weapons cases, which the couple deny.
- The indictment alleges a system of repression, including torture of detainees, some of them US citizens.
- Prosecutors accuse Flores of ordering torture and receiving updates on specific prisoners.
- Their trial is scheduled to begin in June 2027.
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, have been in US custody since January after US forces seized them during a pre-dawn operation at their compound in Caracas, Venezuela.
Indictment Alleges System Of Repression
The superseding indictment alleges that the former presidential couple maintained their grip on power by overseeing a system of repression involving violence against political opponents, arbitrary detention and the alleged torture of detainees, including US citizens.
Prosecutors said the alleged torture included electric shocks, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, punishment cells and psychological abuse.
The indictment further alleges that victims were threatened with the killing of their family members, including children.
US prosecutors accused Flores of playing a significant role in the alleged system, including allegedly ordering the torture of detainees and receiving updates on the treatment of specific prisoners.
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The allegations echo longstanding claims by Venezuelan human rights groups and former prisoners, who have accused authorities of systematic torture and mistreatment in detention facilities.
The trial of Maduro and Flores is scheduled to begin in June 2027.
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