Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to all charges filed against them during their first appearance in a US court in New York on Monday.
According to reports, both Maduro and Flores denied the drug trafficking and weapons-related charges, though for now they did not contest their continued detention.
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“I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country,” Maduro, 63, said through an interpreter before being cut off by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan federal court, Reuters reported.
Flores, when asked to verify her identity, also asserted, “I am the first lady of the Republic of Venezuela.”
Her lawyer told the court that she had suffered “significant injuries” during what he described as her “abduction” and said she would need a medical evaluation and possible treatment.
Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, said he intends to file multiple motions challenging both the indictment and Maduro’s arrest, which he described as a “military abduction” carried out by US operatives.
Judge Hellerstein said Maduro would be given an opportunity at a later stage to speak in detail about his arrest and the allegations against him, and scheduled the next hearing for March 17.
Dozens of protesters—both pro- and anti-Maduro—gathered outside the courthouse before the half-hour hearing.
According to a CNN report, both Maduro and Flores requested a visit with representatives of the Venezuelan consulate. Under US law, detained foreign nationals are entitled to consular access.
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