When US forces conducted a night raid on the Venezuelan capital Caracas, they didn't just drag President Nicolás Maduro from his compound and put him on a flight to New York - they took his wife too. Cilia Flores, 69, has long been seen as one of the most powerful figures in Venezuela, a political operator in her own right who for decades has shaped the country's fortunes. After years leading Venezuela's National Assembly, she helped consolidate her husband's grip on power following his 2013 presidential election victory.
As First Lady, she was dubbed 'First Warrior' by Maduro, but in that role, she publicly took a backseat, presenting a more family-oriented face to what critics say was a brutal regime. She hosted a TV show, 'Con Cilia en Familia,' and made occasional appearances on state television to dance salsa with her husband. However, behind the scenes, she is believed to have been one of Maduro's key advisers and an architect of his political survival.
Flores faces allegations of corruption and nepotism, and in recent years, her family members have been convicted in US courts for cocaine smuggling. She will now confront charges of drug trafficking and weapons offenses in a New York court, alongside Maduro, who has consistently rejected the accusations as a pretext to force him from power.
Flores met Maduro in the early 1990s while defending plotters from a failed coup attempt led by Hugo Chávez, the man who would later become president. Their connection solidified during a turbulent political era in Venezuela, intertwining their fates with Chávez's revolutionary movement. After Chávez's death in 2013, Flores supported Maduro through his narrow presidential victory, solidifying her influence within the Venezuelan government.
Throughout her career, she has been embroiled in numerous corruption scandals, facing accusations of nepotism and drug trafficking through her relatives. A recent indictment cites her involvement in facilitating drug trafficking operations, leading to significant controversies surrounding her and the Maduro regime. As she prepares to face the court, her role as a power behind the throne is scrutinized amidst ongoing unrest in Venezuela.
As First Lady, she was dubbed 'First Warrior' by Maduro, but in that role, she publicly took a backseat, presenting a more family-oriented face to what critics say was a brutal regime. She hosted a TV show, 'Con Cilia en Familia,' and made occasional appearances on state television to dance salsa with her husband. However, behind the scenes, she is believed to have been one of Maduro's key advisers and an architect of his political survival.
Flores faces allegations of corruption and nepotism, and in recent years, her family members have been convicted in US courts for cocaine smuggling. She will now confront charges of drug trafficking and weapons offenses in a New York court, alongside Maduro, who has consistently rejected the accusations as a pretext to force him from power.
Flores met Maduro in the early 1990s while defending plotters from a failed coup attempt led by Hugo Chávez, the man who would later become president. Their connection solidified during a turbulent political era in Venezuela, intertwining their fates with Chávez's revolutionary movement. After Chávez's death in 2013, Flores supported Maduro through his narrow presidential victory, solidifying her influence within the Venezuelan government.
Throughout her career, she has been embroiled in numerous corruption scandals, facing accusations of nepotism and drug trafficking through her relatives. A recent indictment cites her involvement in facilitating drug trafficking operations, leading to significant controversies surrounding her and the Maduro regime. As she prepares to face the court, her role as a power behind the throne is scrutinized amidst ongoing unrest in Venezuela.
