Images of Nicolás Maduro smiling and giving a thumbs-up while under U.S. custody have sparked intense speculation about the Venezuelan leader’s mindset after his dramatic capture. A Times UK report suggests that the answer may lie in Maduro’s deep spiritual devotion to the late Indian guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba, whose followers believe he could offer divine protection and signals of safety in moments of danger.
Maduro, who was seized in a U.S. raid that killed around 100 people, appeared unusually relaxed as he was led to court and later photographed in New York. The apparent ease with which he faced his detention contrasts sharply with the severity of his fall from power, and has drawn renewed attention to his unorthodox spiritual beliefs. The Times UK story notes that Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, and acting President Delcy Rodríguez are followers of Sai Baba, and have traveled to India to visit the guru’s ashram, which became a global pilgrimage site during the 1970s.
The report recalls a former close associate’s account of Maduro’s behavior during a violent bout of turbulence on a presidential flight. While others panicked, Maduro remained calm, later explaining that Sai Baba had told him he would receive a clear signal if his life were in danger—and no signal had appeared. That sense of divine assurance may help explain why Maduro appeared so composed in the days following his capture, even offering a cheerful “Good night” to officials and maintaining a seemingly upbeat demeanor.
The Times UK feature also highlights how Maduro’s faith has shaped his decision-making in recent weeks. Despite being warned by multiple foreign officials—including U.S., Russian, Qatari, Turkish and Vatican representatives—that his time was up, he chose to remain in Caracas. He continued public appearances, dancing and singing about peace, and even slept in his usual bed within the heavily guarded military complex known as Fuerte Tiuna, which U.S. forces had studied for months before the raid.
The story further explores the political fallout of Maduro’s spiritual leanings in a largely Catholic country. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has framed the struggle against Maduro as a battle between good and evil, and has sought to rally support through religious symbolism, including presenting her Nobel peace prize medal to former President Donald Trump and offering him a rosary blessed by the Pope.
Meanwhile, the Times UK report notes that acting President Delcy Rodríguez has also appeared unusually calm since Maduro’s capture, even meeting with CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Caracas and expressing willingness to cooperate with the U.S. government. Diplomats who have met Rodríguez in recent days described her demeanor as “unnervingly calm,” fueling speculation that her cooperation may have begun before January 3.
Whether Maduro’s composure and Rodríguez’s steadiness stem from spiritual conviction or strategic calculation remains unclear. But the Times UK account makes a striking case that the influence of Sai Baba’s teachings continues to shape the behavior of Venezuela’s most powerful figures, even as the country faces a new political era.
