Fact Check: Did Nicolas Maduro’s wife Cilia Flores appear in court with bandage and black eye?

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A photo of Cilia Flores, the wife of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by US forces in a military operation, has been circulating on social media. The image shows Flores appearing in the US court room with visible injuries on her face, sparking speculations about the authenticity of the image. Let us fact-check the claim.

Claim: Cilia Flores appeared in court with facial injuries

Following the first court appearance of Maduro and his wife, Cilia, an image circulated online that shows Flores in court with a bandaged head and a black eye. 

One X user who shared the image, which showed a woman with dark brown hair and glasses wearing a black blazer and maroon top seated in front of a microphone, wrote, "Those who call on the US to protect women's rights should keep this image in mind."

"If the same had happened to Donald Trump's wife, human rights activists would have reacted strongly across the world."

The image also circulated on other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

Fact check: The viral image does not match the authentic photographs

Based on the authentic photos captured by Getty Images and court sketches from her and Maduro's first appearance on January 5, it is evident that the woman in the image was not Flores.

The photo could not be independently verified to know whether it had been digitally edited or generated with artificial intelligence.

Online AI detectors Sightengine and Hive Moderation both found the image unlikely to have been AI-generated. Such detectors are not always completely reliable. 

But according to the authentic photos, Flores did not wear glasses and had light blond hair since at least 2019, according to Getty Images.

Moreover, she and Maduro both wore what appeared to be prison clothes consisting of a blue t-shirt over an orange inner layer during their court appearance.

Flores did have bandages 'on her forehead and right temple' during her appearance on Monday, according to the Associated Press.

Her lawyer, Mark Donnelly, reportedly said she suffered 'significant injuries' during her capture.

The alleged photograph of Flores showed her with bandages on her left temple. The court sketches did not show Flores with a black eye, as seen in the image that falsely claimed to portray her.

Court appearance of Cilia Flores with her husband

Shortly after Maduro pleaded not guilty in court, Flores also entered her plea. “Not guilty, completely innocent,” she said in Spanish when asked by Judge Hellerstein.

When confirming her identity, Flores told the court, “I am the first lady of the Republic of Venezuela.” She also waived a formal reading of the indictment and confirmed that she had discussed the charges with her attorney.

Both defendants requested access to Venezuelan consular officials after Judge Hellerstein explained that right.

“Yes, we understand, and we would like to have such a consular visit,” Maduro said. Flores echoed the request, saying, “Yes, I understand, and I would like for that consular visit to happen.”