Maduro's Wife Seeks Home Detention Over Cardiac Condition
Maduro's Wife Seeks Home Detention Over Cardiac Condition
Anonymous
Key Points
1
Flores’s lawyers say she has lost more than 24 pounds, lost two teeth and sleeps only three to four hours per night since entering custody. They also say she has been housed with more than 40 other female detainees at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
2
The defense said Flores experienced about 30 minutes of intense chest pressure and shortness of breath on July 29. After consulting outside cardiac specialists, her lawyers said they believed the episode could have been a minor heart attack, while acknowledging that no laboratory tests confirmed that diagnosis.
3
Court filings describe a history of rheumatic valve disease, mild stenosis, moderate regurgitation and asthma. A stress test conducted April 23 was halted after Flores developed shortness of breath and chest pressure and produced abnormal findings, according to the defense.
4
Flores faces charges of conspiracy to import cocaine and two firearms-related counts, but she is not charged in the narcoterrorism conspiracy count brought against Maduro.
5
Maduro and Flores have separately asked the court to dismiss the drug-trafficking indictment, arguing that they are entitled to immunity as the leader and first lady of a foreign country. Flores’s lawyers also said she has not received the monthly injection previously used to help control her mitral valve prolapse since her incarceration.
Cilia Flores, wife of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, is asking a federal judge in New York to move her from jail to heavily monitored home detention while awaiting trial on drug and gun charges. Her lawyers say her heart health has gotten worse since she entered custody, citing chest pain, shortness of breath, and possible heart damage that requires ongoing treatment Al Jazeera.
Flores has lost more than 24 pounds and sleeps only three to four hours per night while held at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center with over 40 other female inmates, according to court filings News Tribune. Federal prosecutors oppose her release, and Judge Alvin Hellerstein has not yet ruled on the request. Flores and Maduro, both pleading not guilty, are scheduled for trial in June 2027.
Heart Attack Episode Triggers Release Request
On July 29, Flores experienced about 30 minutes of severe chest pressure and difficulty breathing while in custody. Her legal team consulted outside heart specialists who said the episode could have been a minor heart attack, though no lab tests confirmed it Ratopati.
A stress test on April 23 was stopped early after Flores developed chest pressure and shortness of breath, showing abnormal results. Court records show she has a history of rheumatic valve disease, mild narrowing of heart arteries, and moderate fluid leakage around her heart valve Yahoo News.
Defense Proposes Strict Home Confinement Setup
If approved, Flores would live under round-the-clock armed guard with GPS tracking, video surveillance, and monitored phone calls. She would surrender her travel documents and could only travel with court permission News Tribune.
Her lawyers argue that her cardiac medications, including nitroglycerin, must be available and she needs further heart evaluation and possibly invasive procedures. She has not received her monthly heart medication injection since entering jail, according to court filings.
Prosecutors Oppose Release and Immunity Claims
Federal prosecutors oppose Flores's release request. Both Maduro and Flores have separately asked the court to dismiss charges, claiming they deserve immunity as leader and first lady of Venezuela. However, Flores faces only drug conspiracy and firearms counts, not the narcoterrorism charge against Maduro Al Jazeera.
Arguments on motions to dismiss are set for November. The couple has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Judge Hellerstein has not yet indicated when he will rule on Flores's home detention request.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativeNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
14
Articles
49
Reach
63
Topics
A
AnonymousAuthor
