TOCORÓN WATCH · COURT FILING
Cilia Flores's lawyers seek home confinement, citing heart condition
What happened
Lawyers for Cilia Flores de Maduro filed a memorandum of law asking the court to release her under conditions before trial. The defense argues that Flores, 69, has a serious cardiac condition requiring catheterization and possible surgery, and that MDC Brooklyn cannot provide adequate conditions for recovery. They propose a package including home detention, 24-hour armed surveillance, GPS monitoring, surrender of travel documents, and a court-approved custodian.
What it means
This filing is a request, not a ruling; the government has already stated it opposes her release, and the matter remains pending before the judge. The defense points to her health and lack of any prior criminal record as reasons to overcome the legal presumption favoring detention pending trial.
What happens next
According to the docket, the defense reply is due September 30, 2026, and a hearing is scheduled for October 8, 2026.
Key passages (verbatim)
“Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro is the First Lady of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and deserves the opportunity to await her trial while on home confinement, recovering from invasive heart surgery.”
“Taken together, these conditions eliminate the practical means by which Ms. Flores de Maduro could flee.”
“Undersigned counsel has discussed Ms. Flores de Maduro's request for release under conditions with the government, and the government is opposed to her release.”
Docket text (official)
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