Following the capture and imprisonment of Nicolas Maduro in the United States, Venezuelan exiles have seized upon a unique opportunity to directly confront the former authoritarian leader, sending letters through the U.S. postal service.
Maduro, who is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York, has become the recipient of a letter-writing campaign organized by a young Venezuelan woman living in Florida.
The initiative allows exiles to send messages of grievance, mockery, and closure to the former president’s permanent address behind bars.
Maduro’s ‘letter bombing’ campaign was started by a Venezuelan from Florida
The campaign was initiated by a 21-year-old Venezuelan resident of Florida using the pseudonym “Storm.” She conceived the idea after Maduro was captured by U.S. special forces in Caracas on Jan. 3 and transferred to New York to face charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation.
According to reporting by El Pais, “Storm” explained: “I knew that Luigi Mangione … received many letters, so I thought Maduro could too.” Mangione is currently being investigated for the murder of former United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Buenos dias.
Aqui esta la carta que mandare a Maduro, de parte de ustedes. Habían muchos mensajes, puse los que pense que eran personales, y aquellos que no lo mandaran a mamarse un guebo (por reglamento).
Puede que haga esta misma actividad una segunda vez. Me dejan saber. pic.twitter.com/fJtmxTzkEa
— storm🇻🇪 (@ssstormzzz) January 8, 2026
After posting the idea on the social media platform X, the response was immediate. By the following morning, she had received over 100 requests from people wanting to include their own messages.
Storm compiled 35 anonymous notes into a three-page letter and mailed it for less than a dollar to “Nicolas Maduro Moros, BOP register number 00734-506” at the Brooklyn facility.
Maduro has received messages of pain and irony
The mail correspondence reflects the deep emotional scars left by Maduro’s administration. Many messages focus on the family separation caused by the mass exodus of Venezuelans. According to reporting by El Pais, one message Maduro received in his prison cell read: “I have spent 11 years without my family because of you, and I will never forget that. But now I am happy that you have to spend time without your family, without your wife, alone in a cold room.”
Other messages took a more political tone, addressing the humanitarian crisis. Another letter stated: “No cell is dark enough to pay for the hunger and exile of millions. May your only company be your conscience.”
Some contributors utilized the opportunity to mock the former leader’s new reality with dark humor. Other messages said, “Were you able to drink your little glass of oil before you left?” and “Brother, is it cold in the USA?”
‘Storm’ faces backlash from regime supporters
“Storm,” whose family fled Venezuela in 2015 after being targeted by the military for supporting opposition protests, curated the messages carefully. She excluded those containing specific insults or obscenities to ensure the letter would not violate prison regulations and be rejected.
She also removed identifying details to protect the families of political prisoners still in Venezuela. Despite her precautions, the initiative has drawn backlash. “Storm” has faced doxing and threats from regime supporters.
The threats and the fear of retaliation against her relatives remaining in Venezuela have not stopped “Storm,” who is currently preparing a second letter to send to the detention center.