US files new torture charges against Maduro, wife
The United States has filed new conspiracy to commit torture charges against ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple, currently in US custody, already faces drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Why it matters
These charges escalate the legal pressure on the former Venezuelan leadership and highlight ongoing international efforts to address human rights abuses in the region.
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Photo: AFP
The United States on Thursday filed new torture charges against ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, bolstering a mounting criminal case against the pair held in US custody.
Maduro and Flores already face drug trafficking and firearms charges in the United States after they were snatched from their Caracas compound in an extraordinary US military raid in January.
A court filing made public Thursday shows both are now additionally charged with conspiracy to commit torture, stating that they “inflicted severe physical and mental pain and suffering.”
The alleged goal was to “repress and punish political opposition, silence dissent and perceived dissent, preserve and protect the power and authority of the members of the conspiracy, and intimidate, harass, and neutralise their opponents, including through kidnappings.”
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