Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared before a Manhattan federal court judge on Monday following their capture by US forces in Caracas. The couple claimed innocence during the hearing, with Maduro stating, "I am innocent" and saying he is still president of Venezuela.
Maduro's attorney Barry Pollack signaled that they may try to assert his client is entitled to protection from prosecution as head of a sovereign state. However, there are issues about the legality of his military abduction, according to Pollack.
During the hearing, Maduro claimed he was captured at his home in Caracas, Venezuela, and said "I am the president of Venezuela." He added that he did not know of certain rights and told the judge he would be free.
The couple's lawyer requested bail, but Judge Alvin Hellerstein said he is open to receiving a bail application in the future.
Maduro and Flores were among six defendants named in a four-count superseding indictment accusing them of conspiring with violent, dangerous drug traffickers for 25 years. Maduro has long denied all allegations.
The US operation, which included 15,000 US service members, was authorized by President Donald Trump, who signaled that the US is "in charge" of Venezuela. Trump vowed to invest billions of dollars in Venezuela and make the country wealthy again.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim leader to lead the country after what the Venezuelan Supreme Court described as Maduro's "kidnapping." She softened her tone on social media, inviting the US government to collaborate with her on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law.
The next court date for Maduro and Flores is set for March 17.
Maduro's attorney Barry Pollack signaled that they may try to assert his client is entitled to protection from prosecution as head of a sovereign state. However, there are issues about the legality of his military abduction, according to Pollack.
During the hearing, Maduro claimed he was captured at his home in Caracas, Venezuela, and said "I am the president of Venezuela." He added that he did not know of certain rights and told the judge he would be free.
The couple's lawyer requested bail, but Judge Alvin Hellerstein said he is open to receiving a bail application in the future.
Maduro and Flores were among six defendants named in a four-count superseding indictment accusing them of conspiring with violent, dangerous drug traffickers for 25 years. Maduro has long denied all allegations.
The US operation, which included 15,000 US service members, was authorized by President Donald Trump, who signaled that the US is "in charge" of Venezuela. Trump vowed to invest billions of dollars in Venezuela and make the country wealthy again.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim leader to lead the country after what the Venezuelan Supreme Court described as Maduro's "kidnapping." She softened her tone on social media, inviting the US government to collaborate with her on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law.
The next court date for Maduro and Flores is set for March 17.
I'm not sure what's more surprising, that they claimed innocence or that they thought they could just waltz into a Manhattan court without any consequences. 
I don't think it's going to be easy for Maduro and Cilia Flores to get out of this one. The whole situation with Trump's authorization of the operation is pretty interesting too... I mean, who gives the green light for a military operation on another country? 
. Like, 25 years of alleged conspiracy with drug traffickers? That's some serious red flags 
. Did you see the chart showing the decline in Venezuela's GDP since Trump took office? It's like a downward spiral 
. The US operation cost $10 billion and they're still saying Maduro is innocent? 
. On a more positive note, I saw that Delcy Rodriguez is trying to engage with the US on some cooperation stuff 
. Maybe we'll see some actual progress soon 
. By the way, did you know 75% of Venezuelans live below $3 per day? It's like they're living in a parallel universe 
.
. The fact that Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia are being held in a Manhattan federal court on charges related to their alleged involvement with violent drug traffickers is just mind-boggling 
. It sounds like a pretty shaky defense to me 
?
. And what about Cilia Flores, his wife? What was she doing during all this chaos? Did she get caught up in it too or just chillin’ at home? 
. And what about the allegations against Maduro and Flores? Are they even guilty of conspiring with drug traffickers or was it all just a big misunderstanding? It's hard to say without more info 
.
. Maduro and Flores are going through this, yeah, but what about the Venezuelan people? How are they affected by all this drama? I wish someone would focus on that more 
.
.
, i mean don't get me wrong, he does have a lot of control over Venezuela but kidnapping him and bringing him in front of a judge in NY is just wild 
. what about all the people who are still living under his rule back home? shouldnt they be the ones being brought to justice? 
, i mean come on dude, you've been denying all allegations for years and now suddenly you're like "oh no, I'm innocent"? 
. I mean, I get that Trump wants to 'save' Venezuela and all, but come on 
anyway, it'll be interesting to see how this whole thing plays out... maybe delcy rodriguez being sworn in as interim leader is a good omen for venezuela?