{"id":25480,"date":"2026-01-05T19:09:42","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T18:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kaizen-blog.org\/?p=25480"},"modified":"2026-01-05T19:22:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T18:22:00","slug":"ich-bin-ein-kriegsgefangener-maduro-vor-us-gericht-ehefrau-wirkt-schwer-verletzt-caracas-in-aufruhr-die-weltordnung-unter-druck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kaizen-blog.org\/en\/ich-bin-ein-kriegsgefangener-maduro-vor-us-gericht-ehefrau-wirkt-schwer-verletzt-caracas-in-aufruhr-die-weltordnung-unter-druck\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI am a prisoner of war\u201d \u2013 Maduro before a US court, wife appears severely injured, Caracas in turmoil, the world order under pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Under massive security, Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were brought on Monday to the federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Two days after their arrest during a US commando operation in Caracas, they appeared for the first time before an American judge. The now unsealed indictment accuses both, among other things, of narco-terrorism, conspiracy, and the importation of large quantities of cocaine into the United States. Both declared that they were not guilty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From the very beginning of the hearing, the tension was palpable. Maduro spoke in Spanish, identified himself as the president of the Republic of Venezuela, and said he was here \u201ckidnapped.\u201d Judge Alvin Hellerstein, 92 years old, interrupted him several times and made it clear that the day was solely about formal matters. \u201cThere will be a time and a place for that,\u201d the judge said when Maduro attempted to continue. Asked about his plea, Maduro stated through the interpreter: \u201cI am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent person.\u201d His attorney immediately clarified that his client was pleading not guilty on all four counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alvin Hellerstein<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Maduro also stated that he was holding the indictment \u201cfor the very first time.\u201d When Judge Hellerstein offered to read it to him, Maduro replied: \u201cI would prefer to read it personally.\u201d The judge responded calmly: \u201cIt is my duty to ensure a fair process. That is my duty, and that is my intention.\u201d He then ordered that both Maduro and Flores remain in custody until further notice. He set March 17 as the date for the next hearing. Both defendants were then led out of the courtroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n