In his appearance before Judge Alvin Kenneth Hellerstein, Nicolás Maduro declared himself innocent of the charges brought by the United States. On January 5, he entered the courthouse alongside his wife Cilia Flores, who was also detained at the same time as Maduro.
The images of a man who until a few days ago was regarded as the dictator of Venezuela descending from a helicopter surrounded by federal agents toward the courthouse in Lower Manhattan continue to give hope to Venezuelans in exile who seek final freedom in their country.
In front of an imposing tribunal, as described by those who were present, Maduro asserted that he is a decent person.
“I am not guilty of anything mentioned here,” Maduro exclaimed, according to journalists who were in court.
“I am still the president of my country,” he told the judge.
Meanwhile, outside the courthouse, dozens of people celebrated his arrest and appearance before the law. At the same time, there were those who also protested what they consider an invasion of the United States into Venezuela.
At the end of the hearing, Maduro and his wife Cilia were transported to the detention center where they will remain detained.
Analysts say that the defense lawyers will question the manner in which the arrest was carried out.
According to the Washington Post, the lawyer who took on Maduro’s defense is Barry Pollack, who has represented clients such as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Meanwhile, Mark Donnelly, a former federal prosecutor based in Houston, represents Flores.
