In a gruelling courtroom scene that has captivated global attention, Cilia Flores, the wife of Venezuela's ousted president Nicolás Maduro, appeared injured before a Manhattan federal judge following a dramatic US military operation that captured her and her husband.
Flores, 69, entered the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York with visible bandages on her right temple and forehead and signs of bruising, a stark contrast to the normally composed figure seen during her years as Venezuela's first lady. Her lawyer told the judge his client sustained 'significant injuries' during the capture, including a possible fractured rib, as the defence team signalled its intent to frame the US raid as a 'military abduction.'
