The sound of clanking leg shackles echoed through a packed New York City courtroom on Monday as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first appearance before a US judge, dramatically claiming he had been “kidnapped” by American forces.
Maduro, 63, entered the federal courtroom in Manhattan alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, both dressed in blue and orange jail shirts and khaki trousers.
Wearing headphones to hear Spanish translation, the Venezuelan leader calmly told Judge Alvin Hellerstein that he had been forcibly taken from his home in Caracas earlier this month.
“I am Nicolás Maduro. I am president of the Republic of Venezuela and I am here kidnapped since January 3rd,” he told the court in Spanish, before an interpreter relayed his words in English.
Judge Hellerstein, 92, quickly interrupted, saying there would be “a time and a place” to address such claims.
During the 40-minute arraignment, Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to a sweeping list of charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
“I’m innocent. I’m a decent man,” Maduro said, while Flores quietly added that she was “completely innocent.”
The couple were arrested over the weekend during a surprise US operation in Venezuela that reportedly included overnight strikes on military installations. They were flown to the United States and transferred to a New York jail following their arrest at a fortified compound in Caracas.
Throughout the proceedings, Maduro appeared composed, taking meticulous notes on a yellow legal pad and requesting permission from the judge to keep it with him after the hearing.
At one point, he turned to nod at members of the public gallery. However, tensions flared at the end of the session when a man shouted that Maduro would “pay” for his crimes. “I’m a president and prisoner of war,” Maduro yelled back before court officers escorted the man out.
The hearing proved emotional for observers as well. Venezuelan journalist Maibort Petit told reporters that US missile strikes during the arrest damaged her family home near a military base in Caracas, describing the scene as surreal.
Flores, who appeared subdued, had visible bandages near her eyes and forehead. Her lawyers said she sustained injuries during the arrest and requested immediate medical treatment, including X-rays for suspected bruised ribs and a possible fracture.
Neither Maduro nor Flores sought bail at this stage, meaning they will remain in federal custody. The indictment also names Maduro’s son, Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, who remains in Venezuela, along with several current and former senior officials.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for 17 March, setting the stage for a legal battle with major geopolitical implications.