Maduro, a leftist authoritarian leader who was ousted and arrested by US forces in January, is incarcerated in a facility in New York and does not have access to the internet.
Two photos of Maduro appeared on his social media on Sunday, two days after President Donald Trump announced a historic energy agreement granting the United States control over one-fifth of Venezuela’s oil reserves.
In the photos, Maduro is seen wearing a gray tracksuit, making peace signs with his hands and looking thinner than he was prior to his capture.
“That photo was taken on June 25, a day after the double earthquake” that killed 6,500 Venezuelans, Nicolas Maduro Guerra said in a video posted Tuesday on X. The date matches a time stamp visible on the snapshots.
“It was around 6 pm when the person who took the photos arrived, and he was in front of the TV; he was very shaken and deeply distressed,” Maduro Guerra said.
His father “didn’t feel like having his picture taken,” but “the person who took the photo insisted, and told him he could send it later.
“They did indeed give him printed copies — both photos were given to him — and he mailed them on July 13” to an address in the United States, Maduro Guerra said.
Maduro is allowed to speak by phone with his family and his lawyers for approximately 300 minutes per month, with a maximum of 15 minutes per call.
On Friday, his father dictated a message to him from prison, which he later published alongside the photographs, the younger Maduro said.
“I am sending these photos as a small gift to all my grandchildren, to the boys and girls, and to all the good people who love us,” the elder Maduro wrote on the Telegram messaging service.
“I want you to know that we are standing firm, with our hearts full of your love,” he added.
Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are awaiting trial on charges related to drug and firearms trafficking. They have pleaded not guilty.
The younger Maduro added that his family was working toward “the speedy release” of his parents.
During his 2013-2026 presidency, Maduro was widely accused of using political repression to cling onto power. Both of his re-elections, in 2018 and 2024, were rejected as fraudulent by numerous countries, including the United States.
The US green-lighted Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, as interim leader, and she has governed under intense pressure from Washington.
AFP
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