Maduro shares first prison photos after eight months in New York detention

Nicolás Maduro, the former president of Venezuela, posted two photographs taken on June 25 from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he has been held for eight months on federal drug-trafficking charges. In the pictures, Maduro is dressed in a gray sweatsuit with white sneakers and appears thinner than in earlier images.

He wrote on his X account that the photos were intended as a "gift" to his family, supporters and the Venezuelan people, adding that they should remain "strong, serene, and confident" and that "Venezuela will be reborn." > "I send these photos as a small gift to all my grandsons and granddaughters, to the boys and girls, and to all the noble people who love us," Maduro wrote.

The release follows recent diplomatic developments, including a U.S. announcement that Venezuela would grant American firms majority control over 65 billion barrels of its oil reserves. Since his capture in January, Maduro has reportedly spent much of his time reading the Bible and is allowed 510 minutes per month for conversations with visitors, according to statements from his son.

The images were posted two days after the U.S. president announced the oil agreement and one day after two major earthquakes in northern Venezuela killed more than 6,500 people.