Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug-related charges during his arraignment at a federal court in New York on Monday.
On January 3, United States forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and indicted them on charges associating them with a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
His arraignment occurred while demonstrators both supporting and denouncing Maduro’s capture gathered outside a federal courthouse in New York on Monday.
The demonstrators were divided, with one group waving flags and signs supporting US President Donald Trump, while the other demanded Maduro’s freedom.
Supporters of Maduro’s freedom contended against US involvement, whereas opponents expressed optimism for Venezuela’s future without Maduro in charge.
The police barricade divided the demonstrators on both sides.
Several of those present were originally from Venezuela.
Maduro, 63, entered a not guilty plea to four criminal charges: narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
“I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country,” Maduro said through an interpreter.
Maduro is alleged to have managed a cocaine smuggling operation that collaborated with violent factions, such as Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombian FARC rebels, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang.
Maduro has consistently rejected the claims, asserting that they are a façade for imperialist intentions towards Venezuela’s abundant oil resources.
Cilia Flores, Maduro’s wife, similarly entered a not guilty plea during their initial court appearance in New York on Monday.
The case was postponed to March 17.
The judge commenced the hearing at 12:02pm (1702 GMT) by outlining the allegations in the indictment.
Maduro, wearing orange and beige prison attire, listened through headphones with the help of an interpreter.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein requested Maduro to rise and verify his identity, to which he responded in Spanish.
The couple was informed by the judge about their right to alert the Venezuelan consulate regarding their arrests.
Prosecutors claimed Maduro was implicated in drug trafficking starting during his time in Venezuela’s National Assembly in 2000, continuing through his role as foreign minister and his election in 2013 as the successor to the late President Hugo Chavez.
Maduro’s attorney, Barry Pollack, expressed his expectation of extensive and complicated legal battles concerning what he referred to as his client’s “military abduction.”
He mentioned that Maduro was not requesting release at the moment but might consider it in the future.
Flores’s attorney, Mark Donnelly, stated that she incurred serious injuries, including extensive bruising to her ribs, and asked for X-rays and a physical examination to be conducted.
In 2020, federal prosecutors in New York initially charged Maduro in connection with a prolonged narcotics trafficking investigation involving current and former Venezuelan officials and Colombian guerrillas.
A revised indictment released on Saturday included additional details and co-defendants, among them Cilia Flores.
The U.S. regards Maduro as an illegitimate ruler since he announced his victory in a 2018 election tainted by claims of extensive irregularities.
Specialists in international law have raised doubts about the raid’s legality, with some criticizing Trump’s actions as a rejection of a rules-based global order.
