A journalist shares personal reflections on meeting Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores decades ago, expressing a mixture of disbelief, loss, and bitterness upon seeing them again.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, both pleaded not guilty on January 5 to drug trafficking charges that could land them in a US prison for decades. They are jailed in New York awaiting trial.

Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores were present at a hearing in New York City, with Flores entering in shackles and Maduro reportedly searching the room for a familiar face.

Nicolás Maduro’s son stated his trust in the U.S. legal system, despite calling the drug case against his father and mother, Cilia Flores, tainted by an alleged illegal capture, as they appeared in federal court.

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are facing a lengthy legal process in the US, defending themselves against charges that could lead to up to 30 years in prison.