Nicolas Maduro stood before a federal judge in New York on Monday and declared that he remains the president of Venezuela, rejecting US criminal charges and describing himself as a victim of force.
“I’m innocent. I’m not guilty. I’m a decent man, the president of my country,” Maduro told the court through a Spanish interpreter, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS News.
The brief but highly charged hearing marked Maduro’s first court appearance since he and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized by US special forces in Caracas over the weekend and flown to the United States.
Read also: Why the United States wants Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
Cameras were not allowed inside the courtroom, and only a limited number of reporters were permitted to relay updates from inside, according to US media.
Maduro and Flores both entered not guilty pleas to all charges against them, including narco terrorism conspiracy and weapons offences. Prosecutors allege that for more than two decades the couple worked with international drug traffickers to move illegal drugs into the United States.
Speaking in Spanish, Maduro told the judge he had been taken from his home in Caracas. He was cut off as he continued to assert that he was Venezuela’s lawful leader. At one point, he referred to himself as a “kidnapped president” and a “prisoner of war”, US media reported.
Read also: How years of US measures led to the arrest of the Venezuelan president, Maduro
Maduro’s lawyer Barry Pollack said he anticipated voluminous and complex litigation over Maduro’s “military abduction.”
He said his client is not currently requesting his release, but reserved the right to do so at a later date.
His wife’s lawyer Mark Donnelly said Cilia Flores sustained significant injuries including severe bruising on her ribs and asked that she be provided x-rays and a physical evaluation.
The judge scheduled the next hearing for March 17 and ordered Maduro to appear again. The case is expected to take years to reach trial.
Maduro appeared largely expressionless during the short proceedings, taking notes on a yellow legal pad and asking the judge for permission to keep them. He entered the courtroom wearing a prison uniform, with his feet shackled. His hands were not restrained, allowing him to shake hands with his lawyer, according to CBS News.
Read also: Meet Cilia Flores, Venezuela’s president’s wife, captured by the United States
As the hearing ended, a member of the public in the courtroom began crying and was asked to leave. Maduro was then escorted out in shackles behind his wife through a rear court door.
US officials have taken a hard line. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro would face the full force of American justice, while US President Donald Trump said the Venezuelan leader would “go through a slog of a trial”.
The courtroom drama is unfolding amid growing international scrutiny. A United Nations Security Council meeting is expected to address the legality of the US operation, while several governments have raised concerns about the seizure of a sitting head of state, according to Al Jazeera and multiple reports.
