FLASH NEWS
Nicolas Maduro left the courtroom in tears, what was not seen from the Venezuelan president's trial
2026-01-06 08:56:55 / BOTA
Accompanied by the sound of handcuffs on his feet, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared for the first time in a federal courtroom in New York, in a hearing that lasted about 40 minutes and was followed with great interest by international media.
As soon as he entered the hall filled with journalists and the public, Maduro declared that he had been "kidnapped" and was in the US against his will. He described himself as "a prisoner of war."
During the hearing, Judge Alvin Hellerstein asked Maduro to confirm his identity to begin the proceedings. Speaking quietly in Spanish, he said: “I am Nicolás Maduro, president of the Republic of Venezuela, and I have been kidnapped here since January 3. I was captured in my home in Caracas.”
During the hearing, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to the drug and weapons charges. "I am innocent. I am an honest man ," Maduro said, while Flores added that she was "totally innocent."
Maduro, 63, and his wife were transferred to a New York prison after being arrested on Saturday by US forces at their compound in Venezuela during a surprise overnight operation that also included strikes on military bases.
Dressed in blue and orange prison uniforms and khaki pants, the two wore headphones to follow the Spanish translation during the hearing, with a lawyer sitting between them. Maduro took detailed notes on a yellow notepad and asked the judge for permission to keep it with him after the hearing ended.
As he entered the courtroom — the same courtroom where Sean “Diddy” Combs was tried and convicted just months earlier — Maduro turned to greet several members of the audience with a nod. He maintained a calm, expressionless demeanor throughout the proceedings, even as one member of the audience shouted that Maduro would “pay for his crimes.”
"I am president and a prisoner of war," Maduro shouted at him in Spanish as he was escorted out of the hall in tears, the BBC writes .
The hearing was emotional for others in attendance as well. Venezuelan journalist Maibort Petit said that US missile strikes during Maduro's arrest had damaged her family's home near Fuerte Tiuna in Caracas, describing the moment she saw her former president escorted to court by US marshals as surreal.
Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, appeared more reserved, with bandages around her eyes and forehead due to injuries her lawyers say she suffered during her arrest. The lawyers demanded that she receive full medical treatment, including examinations for rib injuries and possible fractures.
Maduro and Flores did not request parole during this hearing, but are eligible to do so at a later stage, which means they will remain in federal custody.
US authorities accuse Maduro of conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, cocaine trafficking, possession of automatic weapons and explosive devices, and conspiracy to possess them. He has been indicted along with his wife, son and several others.
The next court hearing is scheduled for March 17th.
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