I’m Not Guilty, I’m A Decent Man, Ousted Venezuelan President Maduro Tells US Court

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has declared his innocence before a United States court, insisting he is a decent man as he formally denied allegations brought against him.

Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism brought against him in court on Monday, following his capture by President Donald Trump.

The charges, which alleged involvement in drug trafficking, were formally read as the court adjourned proceedings, setting the next hearing for March 17.

Maduro, 63, pleaded not guilty in a New York federal court to four criminal counts, including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.

Speaking through an interpreter before being cut off by US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, he said, “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country.”

Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty. The next court date was set for March 17.

Maduro has long denied the allegations, saying they were a cover for imperialist designs on Venezuela’s rich oil reserves.

Also on Monday, the UN Security Council debated the implications of the raid, which Russia, China and leftist allies of Venezuela condemned.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres raised concerns about instability in Venezuela and the legality of Trump’s strike, the most dramatic US intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama.

US Special Forces reportedly flew into Caracas by helicopter on Saturday, breached his security cordon and removed him from a safe room.

On Monday morning, Maduro, his hands zip-tied, and his wife, Cilia Flores, were escorted by armed guards in tactical gear from a Brooklyn detention centre to a helicopter bound for court.

The judge opened the hearing at 12:02 p.m. (1702 GMT) in a Manhattan federal court, outlining the charges in the indictment. Maduro, dressed in orange and beige prison clothing, listened through headphones via an interpreter.

Hellerstein asked Maduro to stand and confirm his identity, to which he replied in Spanish.

The judge informed the couple of their right to notify the Venezuelan consulate of their arrests.

Prosecutors say Maduro has been involved in drug trafficking since his time in Venezuela’s National Assembly in 2000, through his tenure as foreign minister and his election in 2013 as successor to the late President Hugo Chávez.

Federal prosecutors in New York first indicted him in 2020 as part of a long-running narcotics trafficking case involving current and former Venezuelan officials and Colombian guerrillas.

An updated indictment made public on Saturday added new details and co-defendants, including Cilia Flores.

The US has regarded Maduro as an illegitimate ruler since he declared victory in a 2018 election marred by allegations of widespread irregularities.