New U.S. indictment charges former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with torture

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores wave after his swearing-in ceremony for a third term at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 10, 2025. Ariana Cubillos/AP hide caption Ariana Cubillos/AP NEW YORK — U.S. authorities charged former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with conspiring to torture his fellow citizens in order to maintain his hold on power. The new indictment, unsealed Thursday, adds pressure on the ousted authoritarian leader already fighting drug trafficking offenses. Maduro, who was previously charged with participating in a conspiracy to send cocaine into the U.S., is now also facing allegations of human rights abuses during his reign as president of the oil-rich South American nation. "He authorized the use of torture against specific individuals and oversaw a system designed to use torture, arbitrary detention and violence as a means of repression against the political opposition," says the revised indictment, which newly charges Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, with torture conspiracy. The allegations include electric shocks, beatings and asphyxiation at Maduro's behest. Asserting that thousands of Venezuelans were "ha...