“Stay firm”
Former dictator Nicolás Maduro reports from US custody
Aug 31, 2026 – 2:34 amReading time: 2 minutes
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro speaks out from prison. He underlines his message with a gesture.
Eight months after his capture by the US military, ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has spoken out from prison. He is “steadfast,” he wrote in a message to his compatriots published on the Telegram online service on Sunday Venezuela. He also published photos that apparently show him in his prison in the New York borough of Brooklyn.
“I’m sending these photos as a little gift to all my grandchildren, to the boys and girls and to all the good people who love us,” the 63-year-old wrote. “I want you to know that we remain steadfast, with hearts filled with your love,” he added. In the two published photos, Maduro is wearing a gray tracksuit and showing the peace sign with his hands. He appears to have lost significant weight since his arrest.
The camera data indicates that the photos were taken on June 25, one day after two deaths occurred in Venezuela earthquake More than 6,500 people were killed. AFP could not verify the authenticity of the photos. An inquiry to the Brooklyn prison asking whether its publication had been approved remained unanswered.
300 minutes of talk time per month
Maduro has no access to newspapers or the Internet in prison, but according to a source close to him, he is allowed to make 300 minutes of phone calls a month to his family and lawyers, with a maximum conversation lasting 15 minutes. His son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, had said his father was in good health and spending his time studying the Bible.
On orders from US President Donald Trump US soldiers arrested Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas on January 3rd and new York where they will be tried next year for drug trafficking. The military operation ended the 13-year reign of the left-wing nationalist head of state; Vice President Delcy Rodríguez took over his duties. Trump justified the military operation, among other things, by saying that the USA was entitled to income from Venezuela’s rich oil reserves.
