Women's Movement Demands Release of First Lady Cilia Flores
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Published at: 31/01/2026 09:22 PM
The Venezuelan Women's Movement demanded the immediate release of the first lady and deputy, Cilia Flores, who remains illegally kidnapped with President Nicolás Maduro in the United States; they also called for respect for her political rights and legal guarantees.
This was announced by the leader of the Venezuelan women's movement and deputy to the National Assembly (AN), Asia Villegas, who also rejected the campaign of political and media discrediting against the first lady. At the same time, he warned that the Flores case transcends the personal level and is part of an institutional, legal and communication dispute.
During the interview with Alma Plus, she explained that Cilia Flores is an elected deputy of the AN, a condition that confers parliamentary immunity, recognized in international law; therefore, she pointed out that her illegal retention violates principles established in instruments such as the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Violence against Women (CEDAW).
He indicated that the case opens up a debate on respect for the legal guarantees of elected representatives and on the use of coercive measures in contexts of high political and diplomatic tension.
In view of this, she stressed that the Women's Movement is constantly mobilizing, just as they have carried out forums and actions of complaint in different cities of Venezuela, as well as efforts before international spaces, with the objective of making the case visible and demanding the release of Flores.
She recognized that women's networks and social organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean have expressed their support through public pronouncements and solidarity actions.
Villegas pointed out that the figure of Cilia Flores acquires relevance not only because of her link with the head of state, but also because of her own political career, which includes her presidency of the National Assembly and her participation in the transformation of the Venezuelan legal framework in the last two decades within Venezuelan politics.
She also condemned the media approach and the language used on social networks against the first lady of Venezuela, which constitute forms of symbolic violence aimed at eroding women's political legitimacy.
He reiterated that the Venezuelan Women's Movement will maintain national and international actions of complaint and coordination as long as the retention persists and the political rights of the deputy are not fully guaranteed.
UN/Mazo News Team