In short
- Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores appeared in a New York court on Thursday and denied new US charges of conspiracy to commit torture.
- Maduro and Flores were captured in January during a US military raid and remain jailed in Brooklyn; their trial is scheduled for June 2027.
- A new US indictment alleges the couple created a “violent system of repression” in which “thousands of Venezuelans” were killed, harassed and tortured.
- The indictment lists alleged torture methods including electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, punishment cells and psychological torture.
- Maduro and Flores argue Maduro qualifies for sovereign immunity and want the case dismissed.
Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores denied new US charges of conspiracy to commit torture in a New York court on Thursday, telling a judge they were innocent. The former Venezuelan president and his wife, captured in a January US military raid, remain jailed in Brooklyn ahead of a trial scheduled for June 2027.
What charges do Maduro and Flores face?
Prosecutors had already accused Maduro, his wife, their son and their accomplices of engaging in a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and of partnering with cartels designated as terrorist groups, in addition to the initial narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and weapons-related counts. The new indictment filed last week charged Maduro and Flores with conspiracy to commit torture, alleging they “created and maintained a violent system of repression” that saw “thousands of Venezuelans” killed, harassed and tortured.
The indictment states that the alleged torture methods included “electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, punishment cells, and psychological torture”. US prosecutors also accused Maduro of authorising the use of torture “against specific individuals” and allege that US citizens were tortured under that system. The repression allegations sit alongside separate scrutiny of detainees in Venezuela; the rights group Foro Penal has said Venezuela freed political prisoners.
What did Maduro and Flores say in court?
Speaking in Spanish through a translator, Maduro said: “I reject this document entirely,” and denied the “false accusations and false testimony against me”. Judge Alvin Hellerstein interrupted Maduro and declared that the court would enter a plea of not guilty for him. Flores told the court through a translator: “I am completely innocent. I am not guilty.” Both wore beige jail uniforms.
Why do they want the case dismissed?
Maduro and Flores have argued that the case should be thrown out on the grounds that Maduro is the leader of a sovereign country and therefore immune from prosecution. Their lawyers contend that the US taking him by force was illegal. Flores separately petitioned a judge to be released on bond while she awaited trial, citing heart problems and other health issues during her detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn; the request was unsuccessful.
What happens next?
Maduro has previously called the US charges a tool to further “imperial” plans for getting access to Venezuela’s oil reserves. US prosecutors had been expected to add torture charges for Maduro before the new indictment was filed. His trial, with Flores, is scheduled for June 2027. The couple were captured in January during a US military raid and taken to New York, where they remain in jail.
Frequently asked questions
What is Nicolás Maduro accused of in the United States?
Maduro faces US charges of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and weapons-related offences, and a new indictment adds conspiracy to commit torture. Prosecutors allege he and Cilia Flores ran a violent system of repression in which thousands of Venezuelans were killed, harassed and tortured.
When is Maduro’s trial?
The trial of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores is scheduled for June 2027. Both are being held in Brooklyn after being captured in a US military raid in January.
Did Maduro plead not guilty?
Maduro rejected the charges in court, saying “I reject this document entirely”, and Judge Alvin Hellerstein entered a plea of not guilty for him. Flores told the court she was “completely innocent”.
Why does Maduro say the case should be dismissed?
Maduro and his lawyers argue that as the leader of a sovereign country he qualifies for sovereign immunity, and that the US taking him by force was illegal.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
