Nicolás Maduro Guerra, son of Nicolás Maduro, assured this Monday that his father is "very well," "in good spirits and exercising every day", just two days before the second court hearing scheduled in the United States for the former Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores.
In a video shared on X by Telesur journalist Madelein García, the deputy even stated that soon they will see a “thin, athletic president”.
The hearing is scheduled for March 26, 2026, before the federal court in New York, after having been postponed from an earlier date.
"They are doing very well, strong, very well, very well, with a lot of energy, with a lot of strength, and we are going to see a slim, athletic president; he is exercising every day," said Maduro Guerra about his father.
In the same statement, he added that Cilia Flores is also "steadfast and alert," in a public display of family support ahead of the court appearance.
The Chavista deputy also claimed that the hearing on March 26 will serve to “continue raising the truth about Venezuela and the truth of Maduro's and Cilia's innocence.”
The criminal case against Maduro
That appearance will be the second hearing in the process opened in the United States, where both have been detained since last January, following their capture by American troops.
The criminal case against Maduro includes four charges: three for conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, importing cocaine, and possessing machine guns and destructive devices, along with a fourth charge for possession of those weapons.
In Flores' case, there are four other related charges: two for conspiracy to import cocaine, one for conspiracy to possess firearms, and another for possession of firearms.
Maduro Guerra's statement comes at a time when the defense of the former leader and his wife insists that they do not have the resources to cover their legal representation.
According to EFE, their lawyers Barry Pollack and Mark E. Donelly informed Judge Alvin Hellerstein that their clients are willing to present financial evidence if the court requires it, in order to strengthen their request to dismiss the charges.
That version aligns with recent reports indicating that Maduro and Flores reiterated before the court that they cannot finance their defense and that the OFAC has not authorized the Venezuelan State to cover those payments.
The defense argues that the refusal of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury interferes with both parties' right to choose their own legal counsel.
The EFE text recalls that OFAC manages and enforces economic and commercial sanctions, adding that these measures have been imposed on Venezuela since 2015, within the context of Washington's pressure policy.
A controversy over the funding of the case
In that context, the appearance on March 26 becomes significant not only due to the progress of the criminal proceedings but also because of the parallel dispute concerning the funding of the defense.
Recent reports on the case indicate that the U.S. government has opposed the claim that Maduro should use Venezuelan state funds to pay for his lawyers, while the defense argues that this limitation undermines fundamental guarantees of due process.
The note also includes a visual reference to the first hearing: an illustration by artist Jane Rosenberg, dated January 5, 2026, depicting Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores during their initial appearance before a federal court in New York.
Other reports published in January confirmed that both pleaded not guilty in their initial court appearance.
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