He’s Just Glad He Is Not At Work: Nicolás Maduro’s Prison Photos Set Social Media Ablaze

Nicolás Maduro has sparked a wave of reactions after sharing photographs from his US detention, with many social media users joking that Venezuela’s ousted leader looks happier and healthier in prison than he did before he was captured.

Maduro posted two photographs on his official X account and Telegram, showing himself in a grey tracksuit, white sneakers and glasses while flashing peace signs with both hands. He appears noticeably thinner, but otherwise relaxed and cheerful.

“Why does he look so happy and healthy?” one viral reaction asked, while others focused on his appearance and prison conditions. One user joked that Maduro still having his shoelaces must mean he is doing well and that authorities trust him. Another quipped, “He’s just glad he is not at work.”

The photographs have also generated plenty of memes and disbelief. “Lmao, he is happier than Julian Alvarez,” one user wrote, while another said, “This looks like AI.” Someone else compared the images to GTA 5, while another joked that Maduro appears to be “working out full-time in prison.” One particularly cheeky comment suggested he looks happy because authorities separated him from his wife.

Maduro himself struck a defiant tone, describing the photographs as a gift to his grandchildren, children and supporters. “We are standing firm, with our hearts full of your love,” he wrote, adding that they would remain “strong, calm and confident” and that Venezuela would rise again.

The images are particularly notable because Maduro has reportedly had limited access to the outside world while detained in Brooklyn. He reportedly cannot access newspapers or the internet and is allowed limited monthly calls with family members and lawyers.

The photographs were published on Sunday, although their metadata reportedly indicates they were taken on June 25. That detail has prompted further discussion online about when and under what circumstances Maduro was allowed to pose for the images and subsequently have them published.