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A new message attributed to Nicolás Maduro, allegedly sent from the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center in New York, was disseminated on April 19 following the official call for a national pilgrimage against the sanctions.
The alleged letter, published on Maduro's official Instagram account, insists on supporting the initiative promoted by the "acting president," Delcy Rodríguez.
“We greet and support the call of the acting president, our sister Delcy Rodríguez, to this great national pilgrimage for a Venezuela without sanctions and at peace”, states the new text published.
The message, which blends political language with religious references, begins with a direct appeal to the country:
"Beloved people of Venezuela, sisters and brothers of our homeland, peoples of the world: on this April 19th, a day of independence, a day of the people, a day of a living homeland, Cilia and I send out a message of faith, love, and hope."
Since that introduction, the narrative unfolds as a call for sustained mobilization.
"The ongoing pilgrimage for the unity, freedom, and happiness of our homeland," the document states, in what appears to be an attempt to transform the protest against the sanctions into a symbol of national cohesion.
A speech of unity and reconciliation
Throughout the text, Maduro articulates his message around three concepts: unity, freedom, and happiness.
In the first, he stresses the need for internal cohesion: “This is how Venezuela must progress: as a single body, with many parts, many voices, and a single soul.”
The message delves deeper into this idea with a broader formulation: “Uniting all parts of the homeland means recognizing ourselves as one country in action, a country that prays, works, produces, forgives, and walks together for peace.”
Regarding freedom, the tone becomes more doctrinal.
"That is true freedom: the one that serves, the one that cares, the one that builds, the one that seeks the common good. It is not freedom to hate, nor to divide, nor to destroy each other," he asserts.
Next, he introduced a biblical quote as a warning against confrontation: "If you bite and devour one another, be careful that you do not consume one another" (Gal 5:15).
The text then moves towards a more spiritual dimension of political discourse: “Let us walk, then, towards that spiritual maturity of the Homeland,” it notes, reinforcing a narrative that intertwines faith, politics, and social mobilization.
In its final segment, it emphasizes the idea of a unified nation: “There should be only one homeland. There should be only one hope, the will to create peace and happiness in permanent reconciliation.”
And concludes with a direct exhortation: "May this great national mobilization be prayer, gathering, sovereignty, work, and hope."
The closing of the message reinforces the religious tone: “May God bless Venezuela. May Christ of peace accompany our people, and may the homeland find faith, prayer, unity, freedom, and happiness.”
This is not the first message of this kind attributed to Maduro since his confinement in the United States.
In recent weeks, several letters and statements have circulated with a distinct religious and political tone, some of which have been shared by his son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, through social media.
However, the authenticity of these texts has been the subject of public debate, as analysts and users question how they could be issued from a high-security federal prison, which has raised suspicions about possible intermediaries or the propaganda use of these messages.
A leadership in dispute
Meanwhile, in Venezuela, political power is entering a phase of definition. Delcy Rodríguez has surpassed 90 days as interim president, the initial limit set after Maduro's capture, and the parliament controlled by Chavismo must decide whether to extend her mandate.
Although the message explicitly supports Delcy Rodríguez as "acting president," it also reinforces Maduro's centrality within chavismo.
From prison, the Venezuelan leader not only endorses the official call but also sets the ideological framework of the moment—unity, freedom, and reconciliation—in a tone that is more doctrinal than operational.
That construction, laden with spiritual and symbolic references, suggests that, beyond the formal exercise of power in Caracas, Maduro attempts to maintain his role as the main political and moral reference of the Chavista project, even from prison.
In that context, the messages circulated from prison - whose authenticity has not been independently verified - appear to aim at keeping the pro-government base cohesive and reinforcing a narrative of resistance.
The pilgrimage called for will culminate on May 1st, becoming a key stage: not only as a protest against the sanctions but also as an attempt to sustain Maduro's political leadership from confinement and amidst a crisis that combines international pressure and internal tensions.
Judicial pressure on Maduro
The dissemination of this alleged letter comes at a critical time for the chavista leader.
Maduro has been detained since January 3 following the so-called "Operation Absolute Resolution" and faces charges in the United States for drug terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption.
In recent days, their legal strategy has faced new setbacks. Federal Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein prohibited their defense from sharing evidence with co-defendants who have not yet been arrested, including key figures of Chavismo such as Diosdado Cabello and Nicolás Maduro Guerra.
The measure supports the position of the Public Prosecutor's Office, which argues there are risks for witnesses and the investigation.
This ruling adds to the court's previous refusal to dismiss the case, as well as the blockage of access to Venezuelan funds to finance its defense, due to the current sanctions.
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