Federal Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, of the Southern District Court of New York, set the hearing related to the bail request for October 8. presented by Cilia Flores, wife of Nicolás Maduro.
According to an order dated this Wednesday, September 16, reviewed by NTN24, said date for the hearing was established after Flores’ defense and the United States government agreed on a schedule to present their arguments.
The defense of Flores, 69 years old, requested in recent days that he be allowed to remain under house arrest until the start of the trial, scheduled for June 1, 2027. The defense maintains that the former first lady has heart conditions that require specialized medical care and that her stay in prison makes treatment difficult.
His lawyers asked the court for a hearing to discuss the regime change and They proposed that she be transferred to a private residence in New York, with 24-hour armed surveillance, GPS monitoring, restricted visits and intercepted phone calls. They also offered to retain his passport and for Flores to assume the costs of the transfer.
In addition, he has alleged that Flores needs complex cardiological treatment and could require catheterization. Lawyers have also noted that he suffered physical deterioration during his detention, including weight loss of more than 11 kilos.
Judge Hellerstein agreed to keep under seal the medical history presented by the defense in support of the petition.
Judicial process in New York
Flowers remain detained in the United States since January 3, when she was transferred to New York along with Maduro after a US military operation in Caracas. Both face charges related to alleged conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the United States, and have pleaded not guilty.
Flores’ defense has also questioned the court’s jurisdiction and raised immunity arguments. The process continues while the Court evaluates the requests presented by their lawyers.
