Maduro and Wife Plead Not Guilty to Torture Charges in U.S. Court
Former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife face new U.S. torture charges in a New York court.
2 min read
Former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have entered a not guilty plea to a U.S. indictment charging them with conspiring to torture political opponents. The couple appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Thursday, wearing shackles on their ankles as they faced a new indictment that expanded beyond its original drug trafficking charges.
Legal Proceedings and Courtroom Dynamics
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 70, attempted to avoid the judge’s plea request, with Maduro calling the new charges “false accusations and false testimony” through an English interpreter. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein intervened, stating, “A plea of not guilty will be entered on behalf of Mr. Maduro.”
Maduro, referring to the indictment, said, “I have seen it in its entirety, Judge Hellerstein,” adding, “I reject this document in its entirety.” Flores, who read the indictment in Spanish, told the judge via an interpreter, “I am completely innocent. I am not guilty.”
Previous Charges and Legal Context
The couple had previously entered not guilty pleas to allegations that they abused their power to aid drug cartels in flooding the U.S. with cocaine and other illicit drugs. U.S. forces captured Maduro and Flores in January in Caracas, where they were reportedly held in a “fortress” safe house described by President Trump.
Maduro, who led Venezuela since 2013, has been under investigation for years by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over claims of crimes against humanity. Torture, a crime under international law, can be prosecuted in a separate country regardless of the nationalities of the perpetrators or victims.
Next Court Date and Potential Consequences
The couple is expected to return to court for a pretrial hearing on December 17. If convicted on all charges, they would each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 50 years in prison.
Source: OANN
