President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, told a court in New York that he was “innocent”, a “decent man”, and that he had been “kidnapped”.
Maduro pleaded not guilty, telling the judge, “I was kidnapped. I am innocent and a decent man, the president of my country.”
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were brought before US District Judge Alvin K Hellerstein on Monday for a brief proceeding that kicks off a long legal battle over whether they can face trial in the US.
Handcuffed and wearing blue jail uniforms, Maduro and his wife were led into the court by officers, and both put on headsets to hear the English-language proceeding as it was translated into Spanish.
The left-wing leader, his wife, son, and three others could face life in prison if convicted of working with drug cartels to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tonnes of cocaine into the country.
Maduro’s lawyers said they will contest the legality of his arrest, arguing he is immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of a foreign state, though he is not recognised as Venezuela’s legitimate leader by the US and other nations.
Flores also pleaded not guilty to US charges against her during the arraignment. Hellerstein ordered the Venezuelan leader to appear in court for a hearing on March 17.
