Russia denounces ‘lawless’ US abduction of Maduro at UN Security Council: As it happened
Published 3 days ago
Source: rt.com
The seized Venezuelan president and his wife have denied narco-terrorism and smuggling conspiracy charges at a New York court
Kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have pleaded not guilty to all charges in a New York court on Monday.
The pair were delivered to the federal courthouse in Manhattan for arraignment following their abduction from Caracas by US special forces just days before.
Maduro is facing charges on four counts, including “narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States.”
When asked by US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to introduce himself, Maduro reportedly said that he is the “president of Venezuela,” and that he considers himself “a prisoner of war.”
The Venezuelan leader is reportedly being represented by Barry Pollack, a veteran criminal defense lawyer known for defending Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange in the case that saw him freed.
In closing the proceedings, Judge Hellerstein reportedly announced that the next hearing will take place on March 17.
Meanwhile, after carrying out a regime-change operation in the oil-rich South American country, US President Donald Trump has threatened Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, with a “bigger price” than the one paid by Maduro.
He added that the US needs “total access… to the oil and to other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country.” Trump also said that Washington will “run” Venezuela “until such time as a proper transition can take place.”
“We’re in charge,” Trump reiterated on Sunday, noting that Rodriguez was “cooperating” with the US.
Moscow has condemned the US “aggression,” and lamented that “ideological hostility has triumphed over business-like pragmatism.”
