'I'm not guilty': Maduro tells US court he is still Venezuela’s president
Photo: ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (Getty Images)
The ousted president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty in a New York court. The next hearing is scheduled for March 17, according to Sky News.
The first court hearing in the Maduro case has concluded at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse in Manhattan. It lasted about 30 minutes.
The ousted president of Venezuela has been charged in the United States with a years-long conspiracy to smuggle cocaine and with cooperation with well-known criminal groups, including the Sinaloa cartel and the Tren de Aragua organization, which are designated in the US as foreign terrorist organizations.
Nicolás Maduro rejected all charges of narco-terrorism, stating, "I am not guilty, I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country."
"I am the president of Venezuela. I consider myself a prisoner of war. I was captured at my home in Caracas," Nicolás Maduro told the New York court.
His wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty to charges related to the illegal trafficking of cocaine, which, according to US investigators, had been supplied to the United States in recent years. She additionally stated that she is "still the first lady of Venezuela" and "completely innocent."
It is noted that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, spoke Spanish, with their statements translated.
Maduro’s lawyer said his client had been "abducted by the military." The defense also said it would seek bail at future hearings.
According to Bloomberg, Nicolás Maduro has hired Barry Pollack, a longtime lawyer for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, to represent him in the federal criminal case in Manhattan.
Meanwhile, Cilia Flores’ lawyer said his client had sustained serious injuries and requested that she undergo a medical examination.
The court scheduled the next hearing in the case for March 17, 2026.
Maduro's trial in the United States
On January 3, the United States launched a large-scale special operation in Venezuela, carrying out airstrikes on the capital, Caracas. The goal of the operation was to detain Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was flown to the United States by the US military together with his wife, Cilia Flores.
Later, US authorities disclosed details of the operation to capture Maduro.
Maduro and Flores appeared in court after spending more than 24 hours in one of the strictest US detention facilities, the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. They were held under harsh conditions, including limited communication, constant monitoring of movement, and confinement in their cells for up to 23 hours a day.
The trial in the case of the ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in the United States is not expected to begin before 2027. For now, the court is only setting the schedule for the exchange of evidence and conducting preparatory procedures.
