New York (dpa) – The recent abduction and arrest of Nicolás Maduro has inadvertently become a major advertisement for Nike tracksuits, thanks to a photo posted by US President Donald Trump of the Venezuelan president in US custody. The image seen by millions around the world shows a handcuffed Maduro holding a water bottle, with his ears and eyes covered while wearing distinctive grey sweatpants and hoodie. The eyes of many watching the news appear to have fallen on the trademark Nike swoosh on the captive's chest, and the tracksuit, worn in a loose and oversized style by Maduro, is now sold out in larger sizes in several markets, including the US and parts of Europe. On his flight to be arraigned in New York after being extracted during Saturday's surprise military attack on Caracas, Maduro appears to have been wearing the men'sNike Tech fleece , a two-piece tracksuit which Nike describes as "an injection of premium comfort." Searches for this tracksuit have surged on Google since the photo of Maduro appeared across news media worldwide, with global searches rising fourfold in the hours after Trump posted the picture. The hoodie of the tracksuit, which costs around $140 in the US or €120 in Europe, has become a bestseller on Nike's online store. Reviews posted in the wake of the Saturday military operation are overwhelmingly positive. "It's really comfortable for long flights," one buyer wrote. "Fortunately, this is comfy. I just had the worst day of my life, but this outfit made it a little better." Another gave the Nike Tech Fleece a new name: "Nike Operation Absolute Resolve Freedom Tech Fleece". Trump ordered a special military operation to seize Maduro, after which he and his wife Cilia Flores were taken to New York on Saturday, where they face charges related to drug trafficking. The photo of Maduro, which Trump posted with the text "Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima," had an unusually tall vertical format, showing almost the full length of the leader in grey sweatpants and hoodie. Although Trump has repeatedly shared AI-generated images on his Truth Social account, many experts believe this photo of Maduro to be authentic. The following information is not intended for publication dpa coh era
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