On Maduro’s first court appearance: ‘I am still president of my country’

Under heavy surveillance, former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown from a federal prison in Brooklyn to Manhattan on Monday morning to serve their first court appearance since he was captured by US forces over the weekend.

Surrounded by Drug Enforcement Agency agents, Maduro, in chains, was moved from the helicopter to an armored vehicle, then driven to a federal courthouse, where he was greeted by New York City police and protesters: on one side of the street were those cheering for Maduro’s fall, and on the other, those opposing his capture and detention.

In the courtroom, Maduro, dressed in a prison jumpsuit, was initially defiant, declaring through a translator that he was an “honest man” innocent of all charges.

“I am still president of my country,” he said. Meanwhile in Caracas, Maduro’s vice president and longtime confidant Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as acting president.

Maduro and his wife pleaded not guilty.

At one point, it looked like Maduro was trying to assert himself, but U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein cut him off, as he would anyone, saying he just needed to know Maduro’s identity and whether he understood his rights and the charges against him.

Maduro faces four counts of narcoterrorismconspiracy to import cocaine and weapons offenses. He was indicted during President Trump’s first term in 2020. In a new indictment unsealed Saturday, federal prosecutors accused Maduro, his wife, son and others of partnering with some of the world’s most violent and prolific drug traffickers and narcoterrorists to distribute tons of cocaine in the United States for decades.

Flores’ lawyer, Mark Donnelly, said she could have suffered a rib injury during the operation early Saturday morning to capture her and Maduro. She also appeared in court Monday with a bandage on her forehead. It is unclear whether the former Venezuelan president was injured, but his lawyer, Barry Pollacktold the court he had health issues that would require special attention. Hellerstein promised them both full medical care.

The next hearing is set for March 17, and Maduro and his wife have waived their right to a speedy trial, so the full criminal proceedings against them could become a lengthy ordeal.