Nicolás Maduro Guerra, a Chavista deputy and son of the former Venezuelan president imprisoned in the United States, revealed this Monday that his stepmother Cilia Flores suffers from a severe heart condition that, in his opinion, is incompatible with the conditions of the prison where she is being held.
"He has a very delicate issue at heart," Maduro Guerra stated in remarks to AFP, clarifying that it is a prolapse of the mitral valve, a condition that in severe cases can lead to heart failure.
The parliamentarian noted that Flores shares space with forty women at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn and that "there are no conditions for her to fully recover after such an intervention is necessary."
According to the deputy, Flores' health problems worsened from the moment of his capture. "He started to suffer from high blood pressure after January 3; he had never experienced that before," he said, referring to the U.S. military operation that resulted in the couple's arrest.
Maduro Guerra also revealed that Flores experienced a respiratory episode after the prison authorities used tear gas to control a fight between two inmates. "She has asthma. So... well, we hope that something good can happen this week," he stated, referring to the court hearing scheduled for October 8 before Federal Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the Southern District Court of New York.
In that hearing, the request for house arrest submitted by Flores' defense will be evaluated, which has documented a progressive deterioration of his health: a loss of over 11 kilograms in weight, episodes of ventricular tachycardia, arrhythmias, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. An exercise test conducted in April was halted due to chest pain, and in July, Flores reportedly experienced an episode of intense pressure in the chest that external consultants did not rule out as a possible mild heart attack.
The defense's proposal included a private residence in New York with armed surveillance 24/7, GPS monitoring, and restrictions on visits and calls. However, the prosecution formally opposed the request on September 23, arguing there was an "extreme risk of flight" and danger to the public. A federal judge also ordered the sealing of Flores' medical records following the submission of the request.
Flores, aged 69 years, is accused alongside Maduro of narcoterrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. Both deny the charges, while the former president claims to be a "prisoner of war."
A lawyer by profession, Flores held key positions within the Chavista regime, including the presidency of the National Assembly and the Attorney General of Venezuela. Her husband called her "the first combatant," and numerous observers regarded her as a central figure of power in Caracas.
The day before, marking nine months since their detention, Maduro Guerra had declared that "we will not rest until we see them return," reaffirming his stance that the judicial process against his father and stepmother is "a political trial."
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