'I am still president': Venezuela's Maduro pleads not guilty in US court; first appearance after capture

Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro made his first appearance in a US courtroom on Monday following his capture, entering a plea of not guilty to all charges and asserting that he remains Venezuela’s legitimate leader.“I am innocent, I am not guilty,” Maduro told the judge, adding, “I am a decent man.” As he continued speaking in Spanish, he said, “I am still president of my country,” before being cut off by Judge Alvin Hellerstein.“A plea of not guilty will be entered on behalf of Mr Maduro,” Hellerstein said, halting Maduro mid-sentence. Defence attorney Barry Pollack later confirmed that Maduro was entering a plea of not guilty to all four charges.During the hearing, Maduro told the court that he had not yet seen the indictment against him and was unaware of his legal rights. “I did not know of these rights,” he said through an interpreter. “Your honor is informing me of them now,” reported AP.Earlier in the hearing, a court-appointed translator relayed Maduro’s account of his arrest. “I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela,” the translator said on his behalf.

Maduro entered the courtroom shortly after 12 pm (local time) wearing prison attire, with his feet shackled and headphones on for translation, reported CBS news.His wife, Cilia Flores, who appeared alongside him, wore similar prison clothing. Both had their hands unshackled. Maduro briefly shook hands with his attorney upon entering the courtroom.After Maduro entered his plea, Judge Hellerstein turned to his wife to confirm her identity.

Speaking in Spanish through an interpreter, she said, “I am first lady of the Republic of Venezuela.”When asked to enter a plea, Flores responded, “Not guilty. Completely innocent.”Near the end of the hearing, Maduro’s lawyer said his client “is head of a sovereign state and entitled to the privilege” that such a status confers. Pollack also raised “questions about the legality of his military abduction,” adding that there would be “voluminous” pretrial filings to challenge the case on legal grounds.The proceedings concluded at 12.31 pm (local time) after Flores’s attorney, Mark Donnelly, told the court that his client was suffering from “health and medical issues that will require attention.” Donnelly said Flores, 69, may have sustained a fracture or severe bruising to her ribs and could require a full X-ray examination.Both Maduro and Flores agreed to remain in custody for now, with their lawyers reserving the right to seek bail at a later stage.Maduro is being represented by Pollack, a veteran trial lawyer. Pollack previously represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He also helped broker the 2024 plea deal under which Assange pleaded guilty to a single felony count related to publishing US military secrets.Further proceedings in the case will be held on March 17.