Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are due to appear in a New York courtroom at noon Monday local time, marking the opening move in what is expected to be a lengthy legal battle over whether they can be tried in the United States on sweeping narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges.
The brief hearing, following their transfer from a Brooklyn jail to Manhattan, comes after a US military operation justified by allegations that Maduro worked with major drug cartels to funnel vast quantities of cocaine into the United States, crimes that could carry life sentences if proven.
Defence lawyers are expected to challenge the legality of Maduro’s capture and claim immunity as a sitting head of state, though Washington does not recognise him as Venezuela’s legitimate president after his disputed 2024 re-election.
The case has drawn comparisons with the failed immunity defence mounted by Panama’s Manuel Noriega in the 1990s and is complicated by long-standing US sanctions that restrict the couple’s ability to hire American legal representation.
Kangaroo Court
On Trumped up charges
Absolutely no basis under International Law
US a rogue failed state morally decadent and corrupt
US Neo Nazi’s doing what Hitler did to smaller nations he wanted to pillage.
Maduro declares
Not Guilty’…
Did not mention Diplomatic Immunity…
Those under Maduro carried out drug shipments without his involvement????
Venezuela’s ‘Allies’ did not come to it’s rescue in the region…
Most Central & South American cuntries are also non-active in Venezuela’s defence-thay will do what they have always done; NOTHING!
Maduro taking over from Chavez, a known Communist and admirer of Che Guererra and Frida Kahlo, both also radical Communists.
1971 never came to fruition, but Mossad and CIA assassinations did!
Back to CNN with you…..