Venezuela needs a competent supreme court, truly independent political parties, the freedom of its political prisoners, and the restored trust of its people for a democratic transition to successfully take place, Dinorah Figuera, the leader of the opposition delegation negotiating that transition, told Breitbart News.
La conmemoración del 14 aniversario del discurso conocido como Golpe de Timón, del Comandante Hugo Chávez, coincidió con la realización de la Segunda Consulta Popular Nacional
"Occidente nunca más será el actor principal que marque la pauta", valoró Lavrov, quien señaló que ante la pérdida del dominio esos países recurren a medidas extremas como la agresión a Venezuela
Unas 900.000 flores frescas colgadas de paredes, columnas y techos, latas de caviar para cada invitado, Dom Pérignon, tres trajes de novia y una orquesta de 30 músicos. El salón de baile del hotel Waldorf Astoria de Nueva York acogió en septiembre una boda montada en menos de tres meses y que costó en torno a 10 millones de dólares, según la prensa estadounidense. Era la semana de la Asamblea General de la ONU, con Manhattan llena de jefes de Estado y diplomáticos, y la fiesta reunió a grandes figuras del poder estadounidense, oligarcas, políticos congoleños, al rapero Nelly sobre el escenario y hasta al exboxeador Mike Tyson. Pero la celebración congregó, sobre todo, a la plana mayor del trumpismo: el fiscal general, Todd Blanche; el director del FBI, Kash Patel, y el asesor legal de la Casa Blanca, Will Scharf. Una boda MAGA de revista.
It is 2022. In a neighborhood in western Caracas, Yolanda (a fictitious name) walks through a checkpoint manned by hooded police officers. In her pocket, she carries a small transparent bag containing several misoprostol pills – the second part of the treatment recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for a safe medical abortion.
An activist for the feminist organization Comadres Púrpuras marches on the Day of Global Action for Safe and Legal Abortions in Caracas, on September 28, 2022.
A woman leading a dance group during a protest march by a Christian coalition against sexual and reproductive health education in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 13, 2023.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the US government is preparing to send troops to Latin America under the pretext of combating drug trafficking in the region.
According to the US publication, 600 troops from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY, have already begun deploying to the jungles of Panama to conduct exercises alongside the local military.
In addition, it was reported that members of this detachment will participate in operations in other countries in the future: “The troops will eventually train with local forces in Colombia and Honduras, and could also support US Special Operations troops advising militaries conducting raids against accused drug traffickers, the officials said.”
The peoples of the region, alongside anti-imperialist and progressive forces, have long denounced decades of US military intervention in Latin America and the Caribbean. Various experts and analysts have shown that “war on drugs” projects have never led to the elimination of these illicit businesses. On the contrary, US military involvement has coincided with an increase in violence, drug production, but most importantly: neoliberal reforms. These reforms involve the dismantling and reduction of the state, the privatization of all possible dimensions of social life, and the destruction of social organizations that oppose neoliberalism.
Historically, this process of material dispossession has been facilitated by an expansion of US military presence, under the pretext of the “war on drugs.”
The report stated: “The deployments and growing headquarters, which have not been previously reported, along with the Pentagon’s recent movement of several MQ-9 Reaper drones from Africa to Colombia and Ecuador, mark the latest widening of the Defense Department’s fight against drug traffickers in the region.”
Shield of the Americas
For several months now, US forces have been participating in intelligence activities and supporting military operations in Ecuador, whose government has entered into agreements with the US to allegedly fight organized crime. However, it was later revealed that these operations didn’t target drug traffickers at all. In at least one instance, The New York Times reported that the US and Ecuador bombed a dairy farm.
This collaboration is part of the new military and geopolitical strategy led by the Trump administration, embodied in the agreement known as “Shield of the Americas.” In recent meetings, several governments have committed to working with the United States so that their militaries can carry out joint operations in Latin American countries.
Regarding the possible itinerary of the soldiers who are expected to arrive in Panama, The New York Times reported: “The soldiers will move first into Panama, where they will take part in jungle training exercises, officials said. From there they will head to Colombia, where they will participate in what officials have called Southern Vanguard, an exercise scheduled to begin later this month. Other rotations will move into Honduras for training with local partners. Some of the troops could be used to provide additional security for US helicopters in the region, which have been providing support for US Special Operations forces.”
For about a year now, the United States has been conducting airstrikes on small boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean that Washington claims are linked to drug trafficking. Over 200 people have been killed in the strikes and the majority of the victims appear to be fishermen from Venezuela, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and other island nations. Victims’ families and survivors have vehemently denied any connection to criminal groups.
Washington claims the report is false
For its part, the US Embassy in Panama stated that The New York Times report regarding the deployment of several hundred US soldiers to the Caribbean nation is untrue: “The New York Times article alleging the deployment of 600 US soldiers to Panama is categorically false.”
The US Embassy reported that 120 US military personnel are currently participating in a training course in the Panamanian jungle, but that these troops will return to the United States on October 25 and therefore will not undertake the deployment announced by Colombia and Honduras. It did report that other US military personnel will participate in exercises in Peru.
“This is nothing new. The Jungle Operations Training Center has been operating for over a year as a school officially recognized by the US Army. US and Panamanian instructors jointly provide training in survival techniques and jungle operations,” the US Embassy in Panama said in its statement.
The controversy between The New York Times and US diplomatic officials over this report comes amid an evident increase in the US military presence in the region. In addition to operations in the Caribbean and the Pacific, there was the military incursion into Venezuela on January 3, 2026, which resulted in the capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, as well as the deaths of more than 100 people in Venezuela. Furthermore, President Trump himself has suggested that he could attack Cuba and any other country if US security is compromised.
Organizaciones de la Federación Democrática Internacional de Mujeres (FDIM) manifiestan que el proceso judicial en los EE.UU. transgrede la inmunidad parlamentaria de Flores y vulnera tratados internacionales que la amparan
El depuesto presidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro y su esposa, Cilia Flores, se declararon este jueves no culpables de los nuevos cargos de conspiración para cometer torturas que les imputó la Fiscalía de Estados Unidos.
Maduro y Flores comparecieron en el Tribunal del Distrito Sur de Nueva York ante el juez federal Alvin Hellerstein una semana después de que la Fiscalía los acusara de conspiración para cometer torturas y extendiera a ambos el cargo de conspiración para cometer narcoterrorismo, que hasta ahora solo pesaba contra el depuesto líder.
Preguntado por el juez, Maduro se declaró no culpable y aseguró que está basada en "falsas acusaciones y testimonio contra su persona". Según dijo, se trata de una "suma de elementos y ataques que ya conocía en el pasado".
Flores, por su parte, fue más comedida y se limitó a declararse "completamente inocente" y "no culpable" de los nuevos cargos, según EFE.
Ambos afirmaron al juez haber sido informados por sus abogados de la nueva acusación y haber recibido una copia en español de la misma.
Esta fue una de las pocas veces que se puedo escuchar hablar a ambos desde que fueran presentados ante la justicia estadounidense el pasado mes de enero tras ser arrestados en Caracas y trasladados a Nueva York.
Tras su declaración, la audiencia se centró en el calendario a seguir. El juez aplazó hasta el 14 de junio de 2027 el inicio del juicio y no está previsto que se celebre otra audiencia hasta el mes de diciembre.
La última audiencia antes de que inicie el juicio tendrá lugar el próximo 7 de junio.
La defensa solicitó contar con más tiempo para poder preparar su respuesta a la nueva acusación de la Fiscalía estadounidense.
Tras la nueva acusación, Maduro y Flores están imputados de conspiración para cometer narcoterrorismo, conspiración para importar cocaína a EEUU, posesión y conspiración para poseer armas destructoras, además de conspiración para cometer torturas.
Maduro e Flores são acusados de tortura de prisioneiros políticos durante o mandato do antigo Presidente à frente dos destinos da Venezuela. Ambos declaram-se inocentes.
They appeared before Judge Hellerstein after the U.S. Attorney’s Office accused them of ‘conspiracy to commit torture.’
On Thursday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and legislator Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to the new charges filed against them by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Oct. 8.
They appeared in the Southern District Court of New York before Judge Alvin Hellerstein after the Attorney’s Office accused them of “conspiracy to commit torture” and extended the charge of “conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism” to Flores. The latter charge, however, had only weighed against Maduro.
When asked by the judge about the charge of “conspiracy to commit torture,” Maduro pleaded not guilty and asserted that the charges are based on “false accusations and testimony against his person.” His wife, Flores, declared herself “completely innocent” and “not guilty” of the new charges.
Both told the judge they had been informed by their attorneys of the new indictment and had received a copy of it in Spanish. This was one of the few times both could be heard speaking since they were brought before the U.S. justice system in January.
After their statement, the hearing focused on the schedule ahead. The judge postponed the start of the trial until June 14, 2027, which initially had been set for June 1.
No other hearing is expected to be held until December. The last hearing before the trial begins will take place on June 7. The defense requested more time to prepare its response to the new indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Following the new indictment, Maduro and Flores are charged with conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the U.S., possession and conspiracy to possess weapons of mass destruction, and conspiracy to commit torture.
⚖️ La defensa del presidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro, secuestrado durante una operación militar en Caracas, pidió desestimar el caso en su contra en Estados Unidos, con base en la inmunidad soberana, según el archivo judicial digital.#teleSUR#Venezuela#EEUUpic.twitter.com/BmCjAbnLsj
The text reads, “The defense team for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro—who was seized during a military operation in Caracas—has requested the dismissal of the U.S. case against him, citing sovereign immunity, according to digital court records.”
A Maneuver to Extend Their Imprisonment
Legal analysts consider that the “conspiracy to commit torture” charge would seek to prevent the case against Maduro and Flores from collapsing given that there is no overwhelming evidence to cover multiple legal gaps.
The Attorney’s Office was forced to remove from the indictment the argument that President Maduro led the nonexistent Cartel of the Suns, which during the months before the invasion of Venezuelan soil the White House presented as a platform for drug trafficking.
On Oct. 8, Judge Hellerstein denied the request by Flores’ defense to grant her bail and allow her to serve pretrial detention under house arrest at a private residence in New York.
The defense’s request was based on the deterioration of Flores’ cardiac health — she turns 70 on Oct. 15 — with episodes of chest pain, arrhythmias and a weight loss of more than 11 kilos since her kidnapping.
Her defense attorneys stated that she requires medical treatment and recovery outside of prison, and included GPS monitoring and other security measures.
The magistrate argued that there is an alleged risk of flight. In addition, he noted that the guarantees offered are insufficient.
Upon presenting the new charge, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche — who was an attorney for President Donald Trump and is known for the political instrumentalization of the judicial system — stated:
“A new indictment has just been unsealed that replaces the previous one, charging Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores with conspiracy to commit torture, including the alleged torture of U.S. citizens over more than two decades.”
From the first moment of this case, Maduro questioned the legality of the kidnapping and invoked sovereign immunity. “I am the president of Venezuela, I consider myself a prisoner of war,” he stated during the first hearing of the trial. For her part, Flores claimed immunity as first lady.
Added to the above are objections from the legal team defending them, which has objected to the legality of the kidnapping, questioned the territorial jurisdiction of U.S. courts and denounced the blocking of licenses from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for the financing by the Venezuelan government of their legal fees. Defense attorneys Barry Pollack and Mark Donnelly denounced those obstacles as violations of the Sixth Amendment.
In September, Deputy Attorney Jason A. Richman, co-chief of National Security of the Federal Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, submitted his resignation amid questions over the judicial proceedings against the Venezuelan leaders.
Richman, who led and supervised the indictment against Maduro and Flores from its earliest stages, sent a letter to Hellerstein informing him that he is leaving the Federal Attorney’s Office as of Sept. 25. He offered no further details.
The official’s resignation is considered in legal circles as a significant loss for the U.S. government’s strategy and occurred less than nine months before the trial against Maduro and Flores, scheduled to begin on June 1, 2027, in the Southern District Court of Manhattan.
Manifestación en Brooklyn en apoyo el presidente venezolano, Nicolas Maduro y su esposa Cilia Flores. pic.twitter.com/5QjStnhDep
The text reads, “Demonstration in Brooklyn in support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.”
Brief Chronology of the Case
Jan. 3, 2026: After bombing Caracas and other Venezuelan cities, U.S. special forces kidnap President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores and illegally transfer them to the United States. The invasion left more than a hundred people killed, including civilians and military personnel, and a similar number of wounded. Delcy Rodriguez, then executive vice president, assumes as acting president.
Jan. 5: Maduro and Flores attend their first appearance in New York. Both plead not guilty and are held at the Federal Detention Center in Brooklyn.
July: Attorney’s Office and defense agree that the oral trial will begin on June 1, 2027, with a prior hearing on Nov. 17.
Sept. 9: Cilia Flores’ defense requests bail and house arrest. The judge orders medical records to remain sealed.
Sept. 25: Deputy Attorney Jason A. Richman resigns.
Oct. 8: Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejects the request for bail for Cilia Flores. On the same day, the Attorney’s Office presents the new indictment.
Oct. 15: The hearing is held in which the Attorney’s Office presents new accusatory charges (conspiracy to commit torture). Maduro and Flores plead innocent.
The judge accepts a request from the Attorney’s Office and the defense to postpone the start of the trial by two weeks, which was rescheduled for June 14, 2027. The next hearing was scheduled for Dec. 17.
Rewritten indictment accuses ex-Venezuela president and wife Cilia Flores of leading campaign of torture
Nicolás Maduro insisted on Thursday during an appearance in a New York court that torture allegations in a rewritten drug trafficking indictment against the deposed Venezuelan president and his wife were “false accusations”.
Maduro, shackled at the ankles, was brought to court to face the new charges accusing the couple of leading a state-sponsored campaign of repression that tortured scores of victims, including three Americans.
The United States on Wednesday lifted sanctions against Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly and brother of the South American country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, the Treasury Department reported.
Washington has stepped on the accelerator to renew Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal. It is its first major democratizing initiative in the country and the main task of the negotiation table between the 2015 National Assembly and the government of Delcy Rodríguez, which meets again this Wednesday. The goal is to have a new court by December, but beyond the outline the United States published last week, nothing is as yet known about the timetables, the profiles sought, the procedures to challenge appointments and how civil society will take part in a process crucial to a country that is supposedly moving toward a democratic transition.
The government of acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez has handed Álvaro Pulido — Álex Saab’s Colombian-born associate who had been held in Caracas since 2023 — over to the United States. The transfer was announced Sunday on X by U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, while the Venezuelan government has remained silent on the case.
Juan Miguel Matheus acknowledges United States involvement in the process that Chavismo and part of the opposition began on January 12, and which this month opens its third round of meetings. Far from being bothered by it, Washington’s involvement seems necessary to him: in his view, it has made essential compromises feasible for the institutional transformation needed to restore democracy in Venezuela. Matheus is confident that in the upcoming sessions, which will run through December, work will begin on a new electoral system and on restoring political and constitutional rights.
“There is only one president in this country and his name is Nicolás Maduro Moros,” Venezuela’s current interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, said on the same day as the U.S. attack that ended with the detention of the former chavista leader and his wife, Cilia Flores. Rodríguez described the military intervention in Caracas as an “illegal and illegitimate kidnapping of the president and first lady.” However, Venezuela later did not take any formal steps to demand the couple’s release or to request their immunity so they would not be tried in the United States.
Vente Venezuela, the party founded by María Corina Machado, is preparing again for the imminent return of its leader despite delays, skepticism, and uncertainty. Decisions within the organization are being made on the assumption of her return. Machado was unable to enter the country from Panama last week (the reasons are still unclear), but her definitive arrival in Venezuela, says Henry Alviarez, the party’s secretary of organization, “is a matter of days.”
A military contingent blocked the bridge over Lake Maracaibo on Monday in the Venezuelan oil capital to prevent a workers’ protest from closing the road. In Guayana, in front of the state-run basic industries, workers erected a barricade to demand better wages. In Caracas, a group protested for the release of political prisoners after news emerged of a death in the women’s prison run by the National Institute for Women’s Guidance (INOF). Over the weekend people took to the streets to demand a date for elections and the return of opposition leader María Corina Machado. Almost every night during a sweltering September, in inland cities such as Maracay, Guanare, Barinas, Valencia, and Maracaibo, people have expressed on the streets their frustration over blackouts that are increasingly prolonged, lasting up to 10 or 12 hours a day.
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