Venezuela’s ousted president Nicolas Maduro, who was captured along with his wife Cilia Flores in a US operation in November 2025, had a lesser-known spiritual connection to India that predates the political turmoil of his presidency.
Long before his rule became defined by sanctions, crackdowns and international isolation, Maduro and his wife were followers of Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba.
Raised in a Catholic household, Maduro was introduced to Sai Baba by Cilia Flores, who later became his wife. According to accounts from that period, the couple pursued their spiritual interests alongside Maduro’s growing political career. In 2005, they visited Prasanthi Nilayam, the Sai Baba ashram in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, where they reportedly met the godman in private.
A photograph from the visit — showing a younger Maduro and Flores seated on the floor with Sai Baba — has resurfaced in recent days and is circulating widely on social media following Maduro’s capture.
Sai Baba’s presence in Venezuela
As Maduro rose through Venezuela’s political ranks, his reverence for Sathya Sai Baba reportedly remained evident. Accounts suggest that a portrait of the Indian spiritual leader was displayed in Maduro’s private office at the Miraflores Palace, alongside images of national figures Simon Bolivar and former president Hugo Chavez.
After Sai Baba’s death in 2011, Maduro, then serving as Venezuela’s foreign minister, pushed for a condolence resolution in the National Assembly. The move included declaring a day of national mourning to formally acknowledge the spiritual leader’s influence.
Despite tightening political control and the expulsion of several foreign organisations during Maduro’s presidency, the Sathya Sai organisation continued to function in Venezuela. The country today hosts one of the largest Sai Baba devotee communities in Latin America, with its presence dating back to 1974.
In 2024, official invitations issued for Venezuela’s National Day celebrations reportedly featured the “Om” symbol, reflecting the continued cultural footprint of the Sai Baba movement.
Personal tributes
Just months before his capture, Maduro publicly marked Sathya Sai Baba’s centenary, describing him as a “being of light” in an official statement. Recalling their meeting, Maduro said the spiritual leader’s teachings continued to guide him — a rare glimpse into the personal beliefs of a leader more often associated with political controversy.
From bus driver to global flashpoint
Born on November 23, 1962, into a working-class family, Maduro began his career as a bus driver in the early 1990s. He later emerged as an early supporter of Hugo Chavez following the latter’s failed coup attempt, gradually rising within the political movement.
Maduro went on to serve as a member of the National Assembly, foreign minister, and eventually president after Chavez’s death in 2013. His presidency was marked by economic collapse, hyperinflation, food shortages and prolonged unrest, ultimately leading to his removal from power and capture in November 2025.
Throughout this period, Cilia Flores remained a powerful figure in Venezuela’s political landscape, holding senior roles including attorney general and head of parliament. Even as Maduro’s leadership drew global criticism, his spiritual association with Sathya Sai Baba continued quietly in the background of his public life.