NEW YORK, Jan 5 (Reuters) – Shackled at the ankles and dressed in prison garb, toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stood before a U.S. judge on Monday and declared he was still his country’s rightful leader as he faced charges that could put him behind bars for life.
“I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country,” Maduro said through an interpreter, his voice rising before Judge Alvin Hellerstein cut him off.
The 63-year-old, captured days earlier in a dramatic U.S. military raid, wore orange slippers, beige pants and layered black and orange shirts. He scribbled notes on a legal pad while lawyers discussed what promises to be a bruising legal fight.
He faces four U.S. federal criminal counts that include narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison
His lawyer Barry Pollack told Hellerstein that he expects extensive litigation over the legality of Maduro’s “military abduction.”
Maduro’s wife Cilia Flores also pleaded not guilty. She faces the same charges except for narco-terrorism. The next court date was set for March 17.
The U.S. has deemed Maduro an illegitimate dictator since he declared victory in a 2018 election marred by allegations of massive irregularities. His capture marks Washington’s most controversial intervention in Latin America since the invasion of panama
Two groups of protesters — supporters of Maduro and those backing his ouster — argued outside the courthouse on Monday.
“We are outraged at what the U.S. has done to the head, the duly-elected head of Venezuela,” said Sherry Finkelman, 80, a retired teacher.
Alejandro Rojas, a 51-year-old data scientist who moved to the U.S. from Venezuela in 2017, said he hoped to return soon with Maduro gone.
“It’s so emotional, just being able to reconnect with family, being able to have a country back again,” Rojas said.
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