Politics · India Bureau
US charges Maduro, wife with orchestrating torture of Americans
American prosecutors have filed sweeping new criminal charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his spouse, accusing them of heading a state-sponsored repression apparatus that systematically tortured dozens of victims, including US citizens. The fresh indictment escalates legal pressure on the ousted authoritarian leader already facing drug trafficking allegations.
LSN India ·
Federal prosecutors in New York have unveiled expanded charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, alleging they oversaw a systematic torture programme targeting political opponents and detainees. The indictment accuses the couple of directing a state apparatus that subjected victims to beatings, asphyxiation, and electric shocks, among other abuse methods.
Maduro and Flores were arrested at their Caracas residence in January by US military personnel and have been held to face existing drug trafficking charges in Manhattan. US Attorney Jamie McDonald characterised the new allegations as constituting conduct of extraordinary severity. "This is the epitome of corruption," McDonald stated outside the courthouse handling the case.
Maduro's legal representative, Barry Pollack, dismissed the accusations, asserting his client denies the charges and anticipates vindicating himself in court proceedings. Flores' attorney indicated he requires time to examine the updated indictment. The expanded charges represent the most serious allegations yet brought against the former leader, who fled Venezuela following his disputed 2018 re-election before his eventual extradition to the United States.