Cilia Flores, the wife of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, has been captured alongside her husband by US forces.
The couple were forcibly removed from Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday and will stand trial in the US on drug trafficking charges.
Flores is widely regarded as a top advisor to Maduro, even earning the nickname “first combatant”.
So who is Cilia Flores? We take a look.
Flores has been Nicolas Maduro’s partner for more than 30 years, and has had a lengthy political career of her own. Before her capture, was considered one of the most powerful women in Venezuela and has worked hand-in hand with Maduro to consolidate power.
She first rose to prominence through her work as a lawyer where she provided legal support to Hugo Chávez and other officers who were captured during his failed 1992 coup in Venezuela. This is where she met Maduro, who at the time was working as a security guard for Chávez.
When Chávez later became president in 1998, Flores’ political career took off. She joined the National Assembly in 2000 and became its leader in 2006. During her time in the role, she banned journalists from entering the legislative chamber and faced criticism from opposition parties over alleged nepotism. She also served as Attorney-General and held strong influence across Venezuela’s judiciary and legislative branches.
When Chávez died in 2013, Flores was instrumental in ensuring Maduro’s rise to power. Throughout his rule of Venezuela, Maduro had been accused of illegally consolidating authoritarian power and of brutal crimes against humanity. He has also overseen the country’s economic collapse.
As First Lady, Flores has been a consistent and powerful back seat presence behind Maduro’s authoritarian rule. Publicly, she has presented a family-friendly presence, hosting a television show.
In 2015, two of her nephews were arrested and convicted on drug-trafficking charges by US agents.
Flores is due to appear in a New York court on Monday.