A. M. 
Former venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them by the United States during their first hearing in the Southern District Court of New York, presided over by Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
During the court session, the judge asked Maduro how he pleaded to the charges related to drug and weapons offenses. The former president responded directly: “I am not guilty, I am a decent man, I am still the president of my country”, reaffirming his rejection of the charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Maduro appeared under tight security, and this hearing marks the formal beginning of his legal proceedings in the United States, after he was ousted and transferred to New York to face federal justice.
Cilia Flores also pleads not guilty
Cilia Flores also pleaded not guilty during her first appearance before the federal court. When asked by judge Hellerstein, she responded, “Not guilty, completely innocent”, reiterating her denial of the accusations.
“I am innocent, completely innocent”, Flores stated before the judge, making her position clear regarding the charges she faces.
The former first lady of Venezuela is accused, among other things, of having accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to act as an intermediary in 2007 for a meeting between a major drug trafficker and the then-director of Oficina Nacional Antidrogas de Venezuela. According to the indictment, this alleged intermediation was part of a corruption network linked to drug trafficking.
During the hearing, Flores also identified herself to the court as “the First Lady of the Republic of Venezuela”, underscoring her political role within the venezuelan government.
Start of a high-profile legal process
Monday’s hearing represents the first formal step in the legal process against Maduro and Flores in the United States, a case that has generated widespread international interest due to its political and legal implications.
Both defendants categorically denied the charges and will continue to face the proceedings while on probation or under measures determined by the court, as the prosecution presents its evidence and the schedule for upcoming hearings is established.
The case is shaping up to be one of the most significant legal proceedings against Latin American political figures in US courts, and its development will be closely followed by the international community.
You can also read:
