Caracas, Aug 31 (V7N) — Photos of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is being detained in the United States, have been released for the first time in eight months since his arrest and transfer to the US.
Maduro shared the photographs on the social media platforms X and Telegram on Sunday (August 30), according to Al Jazeera.
In a message accompanying the photos, Maduro described them as a small gift for his grandchildren, children and those who love him. He said he and his family were “strong and calm” and expressed confidence that Venezuela would recover.
In the photographs, Maduro is seen smiling and making a victory sign while wearing a gray tracksuit and sneakers. He also appears noticeably thinner than before his detention.
Although the photos were published on Sunday, metadata associated with them indicates that they were taken on June 25. The date came a day after two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela, reportedly killing more than 6,500 people and causing extensive damage.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) attempted to contact the detention facility to verify the authenticity of the photographs and whether they were released with official permission. No immediate response was received.
The photographs were released two days after Maduro’s successor, interim President Delcy Rodríguez, announced what she described as a “historic” oil agreement that would allow US companies to operate oil fields in Venezuela.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were arrested during an unprecedented US military operation at their residence in Caracas in January. They are currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.
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