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Maduro posts from Brooklyn
Ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro posted photos from a New York prison on Sunday, saying he remains “firm” while he is held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after his capture by U.S. forces in January.
“I want you to know that we are firm, with hearts full of your love”
El Mundo said Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were detained in a Brooklyn jail accused of drug trafficking and possession of firearms, charges both deny, and it reported Maduro wrote on Telegram that “I want you to know that we are firm, with hearts full of your love.”
The photos show Maduro in a gray tracksuit making a peace sign, and El País reported they were the first known images from inside the Metropolitan Detention Center, released two days after interim president Delcy Rodríguez announced a “historic” oil agreement with the Donald Trump administration.
El País added that Maduro pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance in January, telling an interpreter, “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, I remain the president of my country,” and it said his trial in the United States is set to begin in June 2027.
Multiple outlets tied the timing of the images to June 25, with Fox News and El Mundo noting the camera timestamps matched the day after two earthquakes killed more than 6,500 people in northern Venezuela near Caracas.
Oil deal and courtroom dates
The prison photos circulated in the same window as the U.S.-Venezuela oil agreement, with El Mundo saying Rodríguez announced a “historic” oil deal that allows the United States to operate oil fields in Venezuela.
El País reported that the agreement would have Venezuela hand over to the United States 65.000 billion barrels of oil, around 22% of the country’s total reserves, and it said Rodríguez governs under heavy pressure from Washington while saying she has “chosen the path of diplomacy.”
El Mundo also said Maduro’s message came two days after Rodríguez’s announcement, and it described Maduro’s limited prison communications, saying he is allowed to speak on the phone with his family and lawyers for about 300 minutes per month, with a maximum of 15 minutes per call.
In court, El País said the trial against Maduro and Flores will begin in June next year, according to a ruling last July by Judge Alvin Hellerstein, and it added that a hearing on whether Maduro enjoys immunity as head of state is scheduled for November 17.
El Mundo further reported that the federal court in New York announced the trial would begin on June 1, 2027, and it said Maduro and Flores are accused of drug trafficking and possession of firearms while both deny the allegations.
Message of faith and stakes
Maduro’s posts paired the “standing firm” message with religious language, with El Mundo saying he wrote, “We will remain strong, serene, and confident: God is with us. God will provide. Venezuela will be reborn,” as he posted photos from the New York prison.
“We will remain strong, serene, and confident: God is with us. God will provide. Venezuela will be reborn”
Fox News likewise quoted Maduro’s pledge that “we will remain strong, serene, and confident” and said the images were posted Sunday with timestamps indicating they were taken June 25, one day after two major earthquakes killed more than 6,500 people in northern Venezuela near Caracas.
Beyond the message, the sources emphasized the legal stakes: El País said Maduro pleaded not guilty to four offenses related to narco-terrorism, and it described his arraignment statement as “I am the president of Venezuela and I am here kidnapped.”
El Mundo reported that Maduro has no access to newspapers or the internet in prison, but it said he can speak by phone with family and lawyers for about 300 minutes per month, and it added that his son Nicolás Maduro Guerra told reporters Maduro dedicates his time to studying the Bible.
As the oil deal reshapes the political landscape, El País said Rodríguez’s agreement with the Donald Trump administration involves Venezuela handing over 65.000 billion barrels of oil, and it framed the arrangement as a step toward making Venezuela an “energy power,” while Maduro’s trial timeline remains set for June 2027.