Maduro Pleads Innocent in US Court on Narco-Terrorism Charges

First Appearance in US Court

• 🇻🇪 Nicolás Maduro, the deposed leader of Venezuela, made his initial appearance in a US courtroom to face narco-terrorism charges.
• 🗣️ Maduro declared his innocence, stating, "I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country."

Claims of Kidnapping and Capture

• 🏛️ He asserted that he was kidnapped and captured at his home in Caracas, Venezuela, by US forces on Saturday.
• ✈️ Following his capture, Maduro and his wife, who is also charged, were flown to the United States and held in a federal jail in Brooklyn.

Courtroom Proceedings and Defiance

• 🎤 In the Manhattan courthouse, Maduro entered wishing attendees a happy new year before turning defiant.
• 📝 He spoke Spanish throughout the proceeding, using a translator, and took copious notes.
• ⚔️ As he was being led out, a man in the gallery heckled Maduro, calling him an illegitimate president and claiming to be a political prisoner in Venezuela.
• 🗣️ Maduro retorted in Spanish, calling himself a kidnapped president and a prisoner of war.