Maduro turns to Bible and Quran in US prison as wife's health worsens

Nicolás Maduro, the deposed president of Venezuela, is spending much of his time in a United States prison on religion and philosophy. Alongside reading the Bible, the Quran and other religious and philosophical books, he is also meeting a Catholic priest and a rabbi.

This picture of Maduro's life in prison has emerged in a report in the American newspaper The New York Times, based on information provided by six people. The report was published on Sunday (8 November).

The report says that as a prisoner Maduro now has a great deal of free time, and he spends a large part of it reading religious and philosophical books.

Maduro has publicly claimed Sephardic Jewish ancestry among his forebears, saying they came to Venezuela from the Dutch Antilles in the last century. People close to him have said, however, that before his arrest he showed no particular interest in Judaism.

While in power, Maduro identified himself as a Catholic. He was also close to a Catholic priest who believed in socialist ideals.

He, his wife Cilia Flores and his successor Delcy Rodríguez were followers of the Indian spiritual guru Sathya Sai Baba. At the same time, he also tried to win the support of evangelical Christians.

The 63-year-old Maduro is now awaiting trial in the United States on serious drug-trafficking charges. He is accused of helping smuggle thousands of tonnes of cocaine into the United States. His trial is expected to begin next year. Both Maduro and his wife have pleaded not guilty in court.

On 3 January this year, on the orders of US President Donald Trump, American special forces raided the Venezuelan capital Caracas, arrested Maduro and his 70-year-old wife Cilia Flores and took them to the United States.

The New York Times report says Maduro has lost a significant amount of weight in prison. People familiar with his eating habits believe the poor quality of prison food has hastened his weight loss. He has also complained about the quality of the food in recent months.

His wife Cilia Flores's physical condition is even more worrying. According to court documents, when she was arrested in January she was recovering from uterine surgery. In prison she is being given nitroglycerin for chest pain. She has also lost two teeth and more than 25 pounds in weight, about 11 kilograms.

Court documents also say Flores was kept in solitary confinement for the first three months. After she was later moved to live with the general prison population, she fell ill from the effects of pepper spray used to break up a fight among prisoners. Her lawyers believe she may have suffered a heart attack last July.

Flores applied for bail citing ill health, but Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein rejected the application. After Hellerstein's death last month at the age of 92, Judge Analisa Torres has taken charge of the case.

The New York Times report also notes the religious interests of other Latin American leaders. Argentine President Javier Milei reads the Torah, while El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has built close political ties with Israel.