Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a U.S. Representative from Florida’s 27th congressional district, shared messages on January 6, 2026, addressing both cultural celebration and political issues in Latin America.
In a post commemorating the Epiphany, Salazar wrote on January 6: “Feliz Día de los Reyes Magos. Un día que nos recuerda que la fe y la esperanza siempre iluminan el camino, incluso en los momentos más difíciles. Que este nuevo año llegue con bendiciones, prosperidad y unidad para cada familia, y que Dios nos guíe y nos acompañe siempre. “
Later that day, Salazar commented on the political situation in Venezuela with two similar posts in English and Spanish. On January 6 she stated: “.@POTUS is right: Maduro and his cronies rely on violence and abuse to keep Venezuelans in fear. The Helicoide in Caracas has long been a torture center, used under both Chávez and Maduro to illegally detain, abuse, and silence political prisoners. Sites like these must be”. In her subsequent Spanish-language tweet posted moments later she reiterated: “.@POTUS tiene razón: Maduro y sus cómplices dependen de la violencia y los abusos para mantener a los venezolanos bajo el miedo. El Helicoide, en Caracas, ha sido durante mucho tiempo un centro de tortura, utilizado tanto bajo Chávez como bajo Maduro para detener ilegalmente,”.
The Helicoide is a well-known detention facility in Caracas that has been reported by international human rights organizations as a site where political prisoners have allegedly faced torture and other abuses under the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro.
Salazar’s comments reflect ongoing concerns from U.S. lawmakers about human rights violations in Venezuela amid continued tensions between the United States government and the administration led by Nicolás Maduro.