Key takeaways from Maduro's first court appearance in U.S.
CBC
Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty on terrorism and drug-trafficking charges during his first appearance in a New York court on Monday.
The appearance comes two days after the United States captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a shocking pre-meditated military raid that took place before dawn on Saturday.
Early Saturday, while it was still dark, some 150 aircraft descended on Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and captured the pair. The two were then transported to New York, where they now face a long legal fight that kicked off Monday. Here are the main takeaways.
Shortly after 7:30 a.m. ET, Maduro and Flores arrived at the federal courthouse in Manhattan, where they were arraigned on four charges: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine-guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine-guns and destructive devices.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The charges also apply to Maduro’s son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, who denies the allegations, as well as three other people.
Unsurprisingly, Maduro pleaded not guilty; he has vehemently denied drug trafficking claims in the past.
"I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man," Maduro said in Spanish.
He also called himself a "prisoner of war," and insisted he was illegally captured.
Flores also pleaded not guilty.
Although the court appearance was brief — lasting about 30 minutes — Maduro’s defence offered a glimpse into their likely arguments.
Namely, Maduro's team is expected to argue that his arrest was illegal and that he's immune from prosecution under international law because he’s the president of a sovereign state.
The U.S. however will likely argue that it doesn't recognize Maduro is a legitimate leader. In fact, many countries — including Canada and several Latin American nations — don't recognize Maduro's post. Meanwhile, Russia and China do.
Maduro's next court appearance is slated for March 17. According to multiple reports, it could be several months — or even more than a year — before Maduro's trial begins.
