Cilia Flores is the wife of Venezuelan Pres. Nicolás Maduro and the country’s first lady. A key figure in his government, she has been called the “First Combatant.” The couple was captured by U.S. forces on January 3, 2026, accused of various crimes, including narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking. Here’s what you need to know about her.
Flores was born in 1956 and later became a lawyer. She first gained prominence in 1994, when she secured the release of Hugo Chávez, who had been imprisoned following a failed coup attempt in 1992. Active in his “Bolivarian Revolution”—a socialist political program for much of Latin America—she later helped Chávez become president in 1999, and the following year she won a seat in the National Assembly. In 2006 Flores became the first woman elected president of the assembly, replacing Maduro. She held the post until 2011, and the following year she ended her legislative career to become attorney general.
Maduro became president of Venezuela in 2013, and in July he married Flores, who had stepped down as attorney general. However, she continued to wield significant power. She returned to the National Assembly in 2016, and the following year she was elected to the controversial Constituent National Assembly, a newly formed, Maduro-backed legislative body. His increasingly autocratic rule—amid a failing economy—led to widespread protests. The couple, however, remained in power until rising tensions with the United States, which began in 2025, culminated in their capture.