Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, delivered a defiant message to a United States federal court on Monday, with Maduro declaring his innocence and asserting his presidential status during a historic arraignment hearing in Manhattan.
A Dramatic Courtroom Declaration
Inside courtroom 26A, before 92-year-old Judge Alvin Hellerstein, the couple faced charges detailed in a 25-page indictment. Maduro, dressed in an orange shirt with a blue overshirt and beige pants, stood to confirm his identity. "I am. I am the president of Venezuela. I was captured at my home in Caracas," he stated. When asked for his plea to the charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy, he responded firmly: "I am not guilty, I am the president of my country." He later added, "I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country."
Flores, seated two seats away in similar prison attire, echoed his stance. Identifying herself as "the first lady of my country," she pleaded "Not guilty. Completely innocent" to the charges she faces alongside her husband and four others. Maduro's defence is being led by Barry Joel Pollack, the attorney known for representing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
The Path to a Manhattan Courtroom
The couple's appearance followed a high-security transfer from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Around 7:15 am on Monday, a motorcade transported them to a nearby athletic field. From there, Maduro, who was seen limping, boarded a helicopter for a flight across New York Harbour to a Manhattan heliport. He was then loaded into an armoured vehicle for the final leg of the journey to the courthouse complex—a location just around the corner from where Donald Trump was convicted in 2024.
Their legal troubles stem from a US military operation described as "dark and deadly" by former President Trump. A senior Venezuelan official reported the night-time raid on their secured Caracas home resulted in at least 40 casualties among civilians and military personnel. Following their capture, US Attorney General Pam Bondi unsealed the indictment on Saturday morning, which includes additional counts of possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
Political Fallout and Legal Process Ahead
The arraignment marks only the beginning of a legal battle that could span months or even years, during which the couple will remain in US custody. Maduro has already requested a consular visit with Venezuelan diplomats. The case plunges US-Venezuela relations into uncharted territory.
In Venezuela, interim President Delcy Rodríguez has demanded Maduro's return. However, in a late Sunday social media post, she also struck a more conciliatory note, inviting collaboration with President Trump and calling for "respectful relations" with the United States. The world now watches as the unprecedented prosecution of a sitting head of state unfolds in a New York federal court.
