From 'Cilita' to 'First Warrior', the fall of Venezuela's powerful woman
President Maduro and his wife Celia Flores were dragged from their bedroom in a raid by US troops in the Venezuelan capital Caracas on January 3. Within hours, they were extradited to the United States on drug charges. Flores is not just Maduro's wife; she has long been influential behind the scenes as the "first warrior" of the Chavismo regime. Coming from a middle-class family, she worked as a lawyer to help Chavez's imprisoned associates and became the first female speaker of parliament in 2006. Despite international sanctions and controversy, she is widely seen as a single political entity with Maduro. Her dramatic fall has opened a new chapter in Venezuelan politics.
