U.S. Charges Nicolás Maduro and Wife Over Alleged Torture of Political Opponents
New Charges Add to Maduro’s Growing U.S. Criminal Case Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are facing new criminal charges in the United States over allegations that they participated in a system of torture targeting political opponents and American citizens detained in Venezuela. The additional charge was announced on Thursday, October 8, after a superseding indictment was unsealed in a federal court in New York. The new allegations add to an already extensive case against the former Venezuelan leader and his wife, who are also facing charges involving narcoterrorism, cocaine importation and weapons offenses. U.S. prosecutors allege that Maduro and Flores helped maintain a system of political repression that relied on arbitrary detention, violence and torture to silence opposition and protect their political power. Prosecutors Allege Systematic Repression According to the indictment, the alleged abuses were not isolated incidents bu...