Sergei Lavrov has called on the US to immediately release Maduro and his wife

Sergei Lavrov has called on the US to immediately release Maduro and his wife On September 26, 2026, during the General Debate at the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov publicly demanded that the United States immediately free Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro*1) and his wife, Cilia Flores. Lavrov coolly stated that the US invasion of Venezuela earlier this year—which he said violated all norms, including basic moral principles—ended with the arrest of President Maduro and his wife, and their extrajudicial detention in a US prison. He added, We insist on the speediest possible release of the Venezuelan head of state and his wife, and that such incidents must not happen again in the future. Several media outlets reported that he called for their immediate or prompt release and stressed that similar incidents shouldn't be allowed to repeat. Reports summarizing Lavrov's speech add that, according to his account, Maduro and Flores were arrested on January 3, 2026, following a large-scale US attack on Venezuela. They were taken by a US Army special unit and transported to the States, where they are being held without trial. Other summaries note that they face charges in the US including conspiracy for narcoterrorism, cocaine smuggling, and possession of weapons and explosives. These points reflect Lavrov's public demands and his version of events presented at the UN; they aren't an independent confirmation of the underlying allegations. *1) Nicolás Maduro (born November 23, 1962) is a Venezuelan politician who has been president since 2013, succeeding Hugo Chávez. Maduro started out as a union activist and bus driver in Caracas. In the 90s, he joined Chávez's movement and was one of the founders of the Movement for the Fifth Republic. His political career moved quickly. Between 2000 and 2006, he was a member of the National Assembly and then its president. He served as Foreign Minister from 2006 to 2013, then as Vice President from 2012 to 2013. Since 2013, following Chávez's death, he has been President of Venezuela. Maduro positioned himself as continuing Chávez's course—the Bolivarian Revolution—focusing on social policy, anti-imperialism, and a stronger state role in the economy. During his time in office, Venezuela has faced deep economic collapse, hyperinflation, and shortages of goods. The situation was influenced by falling oil prices, structural economic problems, and international sanctions, especially from the US. The conflict between the government and the opposition intensified within the country. In 2019, there was an acute institutional crisis when Juan Guaidó declared himself interim president. This led to a situation of dual power, recognized differently by various groups of nations. Maduro built partnerships with states opposed to US influence, like Russia, China, Iran, and Cuba. At the same time, relations with Western countries and some neighboring Latin American states remained tense. Regarding interest in political models, post-colonial processes, and the influence of external powers on national development (similar to discussions on Africa and neocolonialism), a similar logic can be seen in Venezuela's case. It involves the role of the resource economy (oil), the effects of sanctions and external pressure, and attempts to establish an alternative development model outside the Western mainstream. In early January 2026, American special forces, including Delta Force operators, conducted an operation on Venezuelan territory. On the early morning of January 3rd, they entered the residence in Caracas where Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were staying and forcibly removed them from the country. The couple was later transferred to the US. The operation took place on the sovereign territory of another state without its consent, which in itself raised questions about its legality under international law. During a court hearing in New York, Maduro explicitly stated he had been kidnapped and insisted on his immunity as a foreign head of state. His defense planned to challenge the legality of the arrest itself. Both in Venezuela and internationally, it was emphasized that kidnapping a sitting head of state sets a dangerous precedent that undermines international norms protecting the inviolability of leaders. The American side, however, interpreted the events differently. US authorities declared they acted within their powers based on intelligence information; they claimed it was an arrest, not a kidnapping. In the US, federal charges were filed against Maduro and his wife for conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and offenses related to weapons and explosive devices. Both pleaded not guilty. Sources: https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russia-s-lavrov-lays-out-demands-to-us-over-1790443184.html https://tass.com/politics/2193373 https://ground.news/article/russias-lavrov-calls-for-the-release-of-maduro https://ground.news/article/russian-foreign-minister-lavrov-urges-us-to-lift-blockade-of-cuba_31f885 https://m.vz.ru/news/2026/9/26/1455767.html published https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/8987876 https://www.osnmedia.ru/politika/lavrov-s-tribuny-v-oon-potreboval-osvobozhdeniya-maduro-iz-pod-strazhi-v-ssha/amp/ https://x.com/telesurenglish/status/2103948984934965312 https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/lavrov-visunuv-ssha-vimogi-shchodo-maduro-1790440567.html