Venezuela’s first lady and National Assembly deputy, Cilia Flores de Maduro, has requested pretrial release under strict conditions, including home detention, citing a serious cardiac condition that her lawyers explain has deteriorated under the duress of her imprisonment following her kidnapping during the US empire’s bombing of Venezuela on January 3.Attorneys Mark E Donnelly and M Andrés Sánchez-Ross submitted the first lady’s formal request this Wednesday, September 9, before Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.The accompanying 23-page memorandum asks that Flores be allowed to await trial under home confinement, GPS monitoring, round-the-clock armed surveillance, and other restrictions established by the court.“Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro is the first lady of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” the defense reaffirmed, “and deserves the opportunity to await her trial while on home confinement.”The US colonial government opposes the request, according to the memorandum. Both prosecutors and the defense agreed to ask the court to establish a schedule for further written arguments. Judge Hellerstein has not yet ruled on the motion at the time of publication.Cardiac examinations and possible interventionFlores, 69, has lived for years with mitral valve prolapse, which was controlled before her kidnapping with monthly injections. The filing states that she has not received that injection since being abducted by the US empire.The first lady was also recovering from a total hysterectomy performed in November 2025 when US colonial forces kidnapped her and President Nicolás Maduro during the January 3 military attack against Venezuela, in which more than 100 people were murdered.During the US invasion, Flores was attacked and thrown against a hard surface in her home, suffering a forehead injury that required approximately 20 stitches.Her lawyers argued that the extensive surveillance conducted by Washington before the attack makes it reasonable to infer that the US empire was already aware of the fact that she was recovering from the operation.Since being imprisoned at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, Flores has been prescribed aspirin, atorvastatin, diltiazem—which was subsequently replaced with Toprol XL—and nitroglycerin for chest pain. The medical reports also indicate persistent reflux and gastritis, the loss of two molars, and weight loss exceeding 25 pounds, or 11.3 kilograms.A stress test conducted on April 23 was stopped after Flores experienced shortness of breath and pressure in her chest. According to the memorandum, the test detected frequent premature ventricular contractions and abnormalities that prompted medical personnel to recommend cardiac catheterization to investigate possible coronary artery disease.Holter monitoring conducted between May 21 and May 26 subsequently recorded a 33-beat episode of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. The defense’s medical consultants warned that similar episodes could place Flores at risk of a potentially life-threatening cardiac event.On July 29, the Venezuelan National Assembly deputy experienced approximately 30 minutes of intense chest pressure and difficulty breathing. Although she considered taking nitroglycerin to ease the symptoms, the episode eventually subsided without medication.Her legal team, after consulting outside medical specialists, believes she may have suffered a minor heart attack. However, the prosecution argues that this has not been medically confirmed: no laboratory tests were conducted at the time, and an additional echocardiogram would be necessary to determine whether she suffered cardiac damage.The cardiac catheterization recommended by medical personnel could also lead to stent placement or a more invasive procedure, in which case she would require adequate time and appropriate conditions to recover from any intervention.Detention conditionsFlores was initially held in solitary confinement for three months while prison authorities considered housing arrangements. During that period, she had limited meaningful communication because she does not speak English and few prison employees spoke Spanish, according to the memorandum.She was later transferred to a general-population unit housing more than 40 women. On August 14, a fight inside the unit prompted guards to deploy pepper spray. Flores subsequently reported chest tightness and needed an inhaler to manage her symptoms.The first lady also reports sleeping no more than three or four hours daily and continuing to experience weakness, occasional tachycardia, chest pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath.While her defense expressly acknowledges that MDC personnel have treated her and President Maduro with respect and have focused on their safety, the evidence presented indicates lack of proper medical care and an environmental detrimental to her preexisting health conditions.Flores also “does not dispute that she has received excellent care from medical professionals,” both inside the detention center and at the hospital, the memorandum states.The defense’s argument is instead that the environment inside a crowded detention facility is inadequate for preparing for and recovering from a cardiac procedure, despite the efforts of medical and prison personnel.Strict home-detention conditions proposedFlores has offered to accept an extensive package of restrictions intended to prevent any possibility of flight. These include:• Home detention, with exceptions approved in advance for medical appointments and legal consultations.• A court-approved list of visitors and a daily visitor log.• 24-hour armed surveillance provided by a court-approved security company.• Continuous video monitoring of the residence.• GPS location monitoring at Flores’ expense.• The surrender of her passport and every other travel or identification document.• A prohibition on applying for new travel documents.• Unannounced searches of the residence.• A monitored landline, excluding privileged conversations with her lawyers.• The appointment of a third-party custodian approved by the court.• Regular reporting to Pretrial Services.• Completion of the recommended cardiac catheterization and any associated treatment.The proposed security provider, Guidepost Solutions, previously supervised another foreign defendant released under similarly stringent conditions in a New York federal case. The defense would assume the costs of the monitoring arrangement.President Maduro’s Defense Requests Dismissal of US Case, Citing Head-of-State ImmunityDefense rejects flight and public-safety concernsThe memorandum highlights Flores’ history as first lady, an elected National Assembly deputy, former attorney general, and former president of the Venezuelan parliament. Her lawyers maintain that she has no prior criminal record in Venezuela or in the US settler entity.Flores was kidnapped by the US empire under fictional charges of conspiracy to import cocaine and with possession of, and conspiracy to possess, machine guns, and destructive devices. Forced to operate under these so-called charges, the defense also argues that the allegations concern purported conduct in Venezuela and neighboring countries and do not demonstrate that Flores currently poses a danger to anyone in New York.During a March 26 hearing, Judge Hellerstein himself stated: “Maduro is here, Flores is here. They present no further national security threat. I don’t see it.”Flores’ lawyers contend that her lack of ties to the US entity should not justify continued detention because she was forcibly brought into the country following Washington’s January 3 imperialist attack and abduction of the presidential couple. They add that home confinement, armed surveillance, GPS monitoring, and the absence of travel documents would go far beyond neutralizing any perceived flight risk.The memorandum describes the US colonial operation as an invasion of a sovereign country in which President Maduro and Flores were abducted and at least 100 people were killed, including 47 Venezuelan and 32 Cuban security personnel. It also recalls the international condemnation of the attack by numerous governments.President Maduro’s defense previously requested the dismissal of the US prosecution on the grounds of sitting head-of-state immunity. Flores has submitted a parallel immunity motion based on her status as Venezuela’s first lady and the spouse of the country’s head of state.The trial is currently expected to begin on June 1, 2027. Flores’ attorneys concluded that her documented medical condition and the proposed restrictions justify allowing her to await trial outside the detention center. Special for Orinoco Tribune by staffOT/JRE/AU