Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty and told the court, “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man.”
Toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday reportedly pleaded not guilty in a New York federal court, days after his dramatic capture under US President Donald Trump. Maduro was produced before US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan, marking his first court appearance since being brought to the United States.
The 63-year-old has been charged with four criminal counts, including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the US, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Follow US-Venezuela tensions live updates
The hearing opened with the judge reading out the charges against Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The hearing lasted for about half an hour, their next court date has been scheduled for March 17.
‘I am innocent. I am not guilty’
During the brief hearing, Maduro denied all charges. Speaking through an interpreter, he told the court: “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country,” according to Reuters, before the judge cut him off.
“I’m here kidnapped since January 3, Saturday,” Maduro told the court. He also directly addressed the circumstances of his arrest, telling the judge: “I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela,” an AFP news agency report said.
So far, the captured President’s statements signal what is expected to be a key line of defence – that his arrest by US authorities on foreign soil was unlawful.
His lawyer has also described the operation as a “military abduction,” arguing it violated international laws.
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Cilia Flores pleads not guilty
Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, appeared alongside him in court and also entered a plea of not guilty. When asked to identify herself, Flores stated her name and told the court, “I am First Lady of Venezuela,” before declaring that she was “completely innocent,” Bloomberg reported.
According to Reuters, Judge Hellerstein had informed the couple of their right to notify the Venezuelan consulate about their arrests.
Earlier on Monday, Maduro and Flores were escorted from a Brooklyn detention facility under heavy security. With his hands zip-tied, Maduro was led by armed guards in tactical gear to a helicopter that flew him to court.
The hearing began at 12:02 pm local time. Dressed in orange and beige prison clothing, Maduro listened to the proceedings through headphones as the judge outlined the charges. When asked to confirm his identity, he replied in Spanish.
Background of the US case
US federal prosecutors first indicted Maduro in 2020 as part of a long-running investigation into narcotics trafficking involving current and former Venezuelan officials and Colombian guerrillas. A revised indictment, made public on Saturday, added new details and named additional co-defendants, including Flores.
Washington has considered Maduro an illegitimate ruler since his 2018 re-election, which was marred by allegations of widespread irregularities.
US prosecutors allege Nicolas Maduro oversaw a vast cocaine-trafficking network that worked with Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombia’s FARC rebels, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang.
Maduro has consistently denied these accusations, previously saying they were a pretext for US efforts to control Venezuela’s oil wealth.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
