She danced salsa with Maduro and was his political architect/ Profile: Who was Venezuela's "First Fighter" alongside the president even in court!

2026-01-05 10:40:02Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
She danced salsa with Maduro and was his political architect/ Profile: Who was
Cilia Flores/ Nicolás Maduro

When US forces carried out the military operation in Caracas , they not only arrested President Nicolás Maduro , who they sent straight to New York , but also took his wife.

69-year-old  Cilia Flores  has long been seen as one of the most powerful figures in Venezuela, a political operator who has shaped the country's fortunes for decades.

After several years at the helm of the Venezuelan National Assembly , she helped consolidate her husband's rise to power after his victory in the 2013 presidential election.

As First Lady, she was called the “ First Warrior ” by Maduro.

But in that role she remained publicly withdrawn, presenting a more family-oriented face to what critics call a brutal regime.

She also hosted a television program, " Con Cilia en Familia ," and occasionally appeared on state television to dance salsa with her husband.

Behind the scenes, she is thought to have been one of Maduro's key advisors and an architect of his political survival.

Flores has faced accusations of corruption and nepotism, and in recent years her family members have been found guilty by American courts of cocaine smuggling.

She will now appear in court in New York alongside her husband on charges related to drug trafficking and weapons possession.


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