Controversy erupts online over new photos of Maduro in prison: “They are trying to calm their supporters”

New photographs of Nicolás Maduro smiling in detention have triggered a debate in Venezuela over whether the images are genuine and why they appeared when they did.

“

A small gift of love and hope. I am sending these photos as a small gift to all my grandchildren, boys and girls, and all the noble people who love us.

Maduro posted the pictures on his official X account on Aug. 30. They show the former Venezuelan president wearing gray sportswear and glasses inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York. He described them as “A small gift of love and hope” for his grandchildren, children, and “all the noble people who love us.”

“

The photos of Maduro smiling one day after the July 24 double earthquake are another example of how Chavismo hates Venezuelans.

The timing quickly became the focus of criticism. Users noted that the photographs appeared after the announcement of an oil agreement between the United States and Venezuela. Journalist Gabriel Bastidas linked the images to the July 24 earthquake, while activist Bárbara de Jesús said the picture had been taken on June 25 and released more than two months later. “They are trying to calm their supporters,” she said. Journalist Orlando Avendaño likewise called the release a timely move.

“

Chavismo had this image of Maduro smiling from June 25 and decided to release it now, after the oil agreement with the U.S. was revealed. They are trying to calm their supporters.

Political leader Freddy Guevara raised a separate objection, saying Maduro appeared to have access to rights that he had denied to political prisoners in Venezuela, including the ability to communicate with relatives and lawyers. Doubts over the images’ authenticity also circulated online. Reporte Ya said it had consulted artificial intelligence about whether prisoners in a high-security U.S. facility could normally be photographed, citing strict rules generally prohibiting inmates from using phones, cameras, or recording devices.

“

Look at what you can do as a prisoner and what you denied to all political prisoners in Venezuela. You denied them even the basics: being able to communicate with their families and lawyers, something you were able to do.