Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro returns to a New York courtroom Thursday as he seeks to have his drug-trafficking indictment dismissed amid a dispute over who should pay his legal bills. His lawyer argues the U.S. is violating Maduro’s constitutional rights by blocking use of Venezuelan government funds to cover his defense.
The appearance is the first time Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will be in court since a January arraignment where Maduro protested what he said was their capture by U.S. forces and declared, “I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country.” Flores has also pleaded not guilty. Both remain jailed at a Brooklyn detention center and have not sought bail. Judge Alvin Hellerstein has not set a trial date, which could be addressed at the hearing.
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, still retain some support in Venezuela, with murals and billboards in Caracas calling for their return. But while Maduro’s party still controls government institutions, he has been gradually sidelined by acting President Delcy Rodríguez. Rodríguez has replaced senior officials loyal to Maduro, including his defence minister and attorney general, reorganized agencies, named ambassadors and rolled back elements of the long-standing self-proclaimed socialist movement. State television has also been overhauled; Rodríguez favors much shorter broadcasts without the musical segments that marked Maduro’s evening appearances.
Venezuela has renewed diplomatic ties with the U.S., which in 2019 cut relations with Maduro’s government and recognized an opposition leader as the legitimate head of state. Washington has eased some sanctions on Venezuela’s crucial oil sector and dispatched a chargé d’affaires to Caracas.
That diplomatic shift, however, has not resolved the legal-fees dispute. In a court filing last month, Maduro’s attorney Barry Pollack said the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) briefly approved allowing Venezuela to pay for his legal representation on Jan. 9 but rescinded the approval less than three hours later without explanation. In a written declaration, Maduro said he is “entitled to have the government of Venezuela pay for my legal defence.”
Prosecutors countered that the U.S. has authorized Maduro and Flores to use personal funds to pay lawyers but will not permit them to draw fees from a fund controlled by a sanctioned government. Maduro said he cannot afford his defense and would have to show indigence to qualify for a lawyer at U.S. taxpayer expense.
Maduro and Flores were seized in a predawn raid on their Caracas home on Jan. 3. A 25-page indictment alleges they and others conspired with drug cartels and members of the military to facilitate shipments of thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States. The indictment alleges they ordered kidnappings, beatings and killings of those who owed drug money or threatened their operation, including the slaying of a drug boss in Caracas. If convicted, they face life in prison.
For most Venezuelans, life after Maduro’s removal has changed little. Many public-sector workers earn roughly USD 160 per month, while the average private-sector wage is about USD 237. Last year, Venezuela’s central bank reported annual inflation of 475 percent, driving the cost of food and essentials beyond the reach of many.
