The defense of the Venezuelan first lady, Cilia Flores, once again asked the United States court to grant her release on bail and to be placed under house arrest. The request, presented on Wednesday (30), is based on the marked worsening of her health since she was taken to the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, in New York.
According to court documents presented by lawyers, Flores, 69, experienced a ventricular tachycardia attack and faced a 30-minute episode of intense chest pain without receiving adequate clinical assistance in the prison unit. The defense also reported that she has already lost a lot of weight and two molars during the period in which she has been detained.
Before her arrest, the first lady’s heart condition was stable with the use of monthly medication. Lawyers relate the worsening of the health situation to the conditions experienced since the military operation promoted by the United States on January 3, 2026, the date on which Flores and President Nicolás Maduro were kidnapped in Caracas.
Upon arriving at the prison facility in New York, Cilia Flores had injuries to her forehead and other bodily injuries, in addition to having undergone three months of severe isolation. Although the medical team at the detention center suggested performing a catheterization, the defense argues that the prison environment does not have an adequate structure for post-operative recovery from an invasive cardiac procedure.
The United States Attorney’s Office opposed the defense’s request, citing an extreme risk of flight. In response, Cilia’s lawyers highlight that she is an elderly woman, with serious health problems and no financial resources to pay for her release, a commitment made under penalty of perjury. The trial to analyze the first lady’s request is scheduled for October 8th.
International manifesto led by Roger Waters demands release
The situation of Cilia Flores and Nicolás Maduro motivated the creation of an international manifesto articulated by British musician Roger Waters, former member of the band Pink Floyd. The document brings together signatures of intellectuals, jurists, journalists and social leaders from around the world, such as French journalist Ignacio Ramonet and popular Brazilian leader João Pedro Stedile, of the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST).
The initiative classifies the US military operation carried out in Venezuela as an illegal act of force and a political kidnapping that violates article 2.4 of the United Nations Charter, in addition to disrespecting the rules of diplomatic and sovereign immunity. The text points out that the legal accusations presented in US courts lack justification and that the case against Cilia Flores constitutes a manifestation of gender violence for political reasons.
“Article 2.4 of the United Nations Charter prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity and political independence of a State”, says an excerpt from the manifesto. “In the case of Congresswoman Cilia Flores, these accusations are even more untenable. The extreme violence with which she was treated highlights a case of gender-based violence for political reasons that must be highlighted.”
The manifesto demands the immediate release of Cilia Flores and Nicolás Maduro, the end of legal actions resulting from the extraterritorial capture, the end of unilateral coercive sanctions against Venezuela and full respect for the sovereignty of the peoples of Latin America.
“Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores are innocent. They did not commit any crime, neither in Venezuela nor in any other territory. They were kidnapped by a foreign military force illegally, without the existence of any declaration of war”, states the statement.
“The objective of the kidnapping has always been to bring the Bolivarian government to its knees, take its president hostage and keep him captured in exchange for Venezuelan oil,” declare the signatories.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
