Venezuelas Cilia Flores named countrys first female combatant in war

Venezuela’s First Lady Cilia Flores Abducted Alongside President Nicolas Maduro

On January 3, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken into custody by US forces in Caracas. The operation was accompanied by attacks on the capital city that resulted in at least 40 fatalities, according to Venezuelan officials.

Flores, 69, is a native of Tinaquillo in central Venezuela, born on October 15, 1956. She graduated from Universidad Santa Maria in Caracas with a law degree specializing in labor and criminal law. Flores gained prominence when she led the team assisting military leader Hugo Chavez in 1992 after he attempted to overthrow President Carlos Andres Perez.

Flores played a key role in securing Chavez’s release from prison in 1994, which contributed to his successful presidential campaign in 1999. She became an integral part of the Chavismo movement and met her future husband, Maduro, through this association. The couple has been together for over three decades.

Before becoming Venezuela’s “first combatant,” Flores built a political standing on her own. In 2000, she was elected to the National Assembly, representing Cojedes, her home state. She held various positions, including vice president of Chavez’s party and attorney general, before succeeding Maduro as parliament speaker in 2006.

Flores returned to politics in 2017 after being elected to the Constituent Assembly. In 2021, she was re-elected to the National Assembly. At the time of her abduction, she was serving as a deputy in the assembly.

Flores has been sanctioned by US and Canadian authorities for alleged crimes against humanity committed by the Maduro government. She is expected to appear alongside Maduro in a New York court, possibly as early as Monday, facing charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and accepting bribes.

Source: Al Jazeera