Maduro says he is ‘fine’ in first message published from prison

Image of Nicolás Maduro’s post on social media, on March 28, 2026. Reproduction The deposed president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, stated that he is “fine”, in a message published on Saturday (28) on social media, the first since he was captured and taken to the United States, where he faces trial on drug trafficking charges. Maduro was detained by US forces during a military incursion on January 3, which included bombings of Caracas. He is imprisoned with his wife, Cilia Flores, detained in the same operation, in a maximum security prison in Brooklyn. “We are well, firm, serene and in permanent prayer”, wrote Maduro a few days before Holy Week, a date of great importance in Venezuela, a country with a Catholic majority. “Your communications reach us, your messages, your letters and your prayers,” he added. “Every word of love, every gesture of affection, every expression of support fills our soul and strengthens us spiritually.” ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp Maduro is isolated in a cell without internet or newspapers, with access to the courtyard for one hour a day. A source close to the Venezuelan told AFP that he is allowed to speak on the phone with his family and lawyers for a maximum of 15 minutes. It is unclear whether Maduro dictated the message to his team or merely approved the content. He signs the text with Flores. The deposed ruler appeared on Thursday with his wife in federal court in New York, where the judge rejected a defense request to dismiss the charges. Maduro’s message was published on the social network X and on the messaging platform Telegram, where until now there was only a count of the days of “kidnapping”. His son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, known as “Nicolasito”, said at public events that his father is well, calm and was even exercising in prison. Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power on an interim basis after Maduro’s fall, did not comment on the message, as did most of her ministers. Rodríguez governs under pressure from Donald Trump and promoted a shift in the administration to get closer to Washington. She dismantled, in almost three months, the structure of Maduro’s government. The president did not mention the trial in New York in her last speeches. On Friday, she asked for prayer for Maduro and Flores in an event with evangelicals, very close to the deposed ruler. Video shows Maduro detained at the headquarters of the US drug department The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, during an indigenous event on October 12, 2025, before his arrest by the US. Frederico Parra/AFP

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