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Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores published a joint message in three parts through Maduro's X account this Saturday, two days after his second court hearing at the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York.
The text, signed by both and addressed to the Venezuelan people and to "the men and women of goodwill around the world," is the first joint public statement since the hearing held last Thursday before Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
"We have received your communications, your messages, your emails, your letters, and your prayers. Every word of love, every gesture of affection, every expression of support fills our souls and strengthens us spiritually. We are well, steady, calm, and continually in prayer," they wrote.
The message, published from New York where both have been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since January 3, 2026, also included a call for national reconciliation.
"Today more than ever, we call to continue consolidating the peace of the country, national unity, reconciliation, forgiveness, and the reunion among all. Let no one stray from the path of dialogue, coexistence, and respect, because that is the way of the Homeland, that is the way of good," they stated.
The statement comes two days after Judge Hellerstein rejected the defense's motion to dismiss the charges, although he questioned the freeze on Venezuelan funds intended to finance the legal representation of the accused.
During that hearing, Maduro showed visible signs of nervousness and tics that elicited laughter in the room, in contrast to Cilia Flores's greater composure. At the end of the session, Maduro shook hands with his lawyer and said "See you tomorrow" before being escorted out.
On the same day the message was published, Maduro's son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra —a deputy in the National Assembly of Venezuela and also included in the accusations from the U.S. Prosecutor's Office— stated in an interview with RT that there is nothing that indicates Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores committed a crime and described the proceedings as a "political trial."
Maduro and Flores face charges of conspiracy for narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess war weapons, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Last Thursday, President Donald Trump stated that the current charges are only a fraction of Maduro's crimes and predicted further indictments against him and other Venezuelan officials.
The congresswoman María Elvira Salazar expressed satisfaction with the progress of the process: "In the end, all dictators end up being held accountable."
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