However, people with access to the notorious Brooklyn jail where he is being held paint a less rosy picture of what life there is really like. CNN reported.

Maduro and Flores, who were transferred to New York in January after being captured by US forces in Venezuela, have pleaded not guilty to charges related to drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption.

Both are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York – a facility known both for its tough conditions and for having housed high profile inmates such as the Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell and hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Venezuelan lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra, known as “Nicolasito,” said Monday that his father remains “in high spirits” and “very strong,” that he exercises daily, and that he could reappear looking “thinner, more athletic.”

He referred to Flores as a “first combatant, firm and alert” in the face of legal challenges.

But life inside the federal detention facility is notoriously tough.

For years, the jail has been criticized for its conditions, often described as dangerous and inhumane. Some lawyers and detainees have gone so far as to call it a “hell on earth,” citing unsanitary conditions, insecurity and prolonged isolation.

Someone like Maduro is likely to face even more restrictions than other inmates, as high-profile figures are often separated from the general population for security reasons.

“I would expect their routine to be 23 hours a day in solitary confinement,” explained Cameron Lindsay, a former director of the facility. That implies near-total confinement to a cell, meals delivered through a slot in the door, little or no contact with other inmates, and limited recreation, usually alone.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons did not confirm which specific unit he is in or give details about the conditions of his detention. However, experts and lawyers say prisoners of this profile are usually held in the Special Housing Unit. CNN reported.