Nicolás Maduro appeared in a New York courtroom on Thursday, shackled at the ankles, to address an expanded federal indictment that accuses him and his wife, Cilia Flores, of orchestrating a systemic campaign of state-sponsored repression. The allegations, which include the torture of several individuals—among them three American citizens—mark a significant expansion of previous legal actions taken against the couple.
During the hearing, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of the pair after Maduro repeatedly declined to enter a plea himself. Speaking through an interpreter, the 63-year-old former president characterized the charges as containing “false accusations and false testimony.” His wife, 70, also addressed the court, stating, “I am completely innocent. I am not guilty.”
The revised indictment outlines a brutal system of abuse that allegedly persisted from the time Maduro succeeded Hugo Chávez in 2013 until his capture by the US military in Caracas this past January. Prosecutors allege that the former president personally recommended specific torture methods, such as beatings, asphyxiation, and the use of electric shocks, while also receiving progress reports on victims. In one instance, the indictment claims Maduro threatened the life of a prisoner’s child to exert psychological pressure. When he took over as president from his mentor Hugo Chávez, who died of cancer that year, the revised indictment covers allegations of torture stretching back to Maduro’s ascent to power in 2013. They were seized from their Caracas home by the US military in a night-time raid in January.
Flores, who served as Venezuela’s attorney general, is accused by federal prosecutors of actively helping to design the repressive infrastructure and ordering the abuse of specific targets. While Maduro has faced long-standing investigations by the International Criminal Court regarding alleged crimes against humanity during his crackdown on political opponents, he has consistently maintained his innocence.
The defense team, led by attorney Barry Pollack, maintains that the charges are baseless and that the couple looks forward to defending themselves in court. Lawyers representing both sides requested that the trial date be pushed back from 1 June to 14 June to allow more time for preparations.
This case follows a separate drug trafficking indictment from earlier this year, in which the couple stands accused of conspiring to flood the United States with cocaine. Defense attorneys continue to argue that the entire prosecution should be dismissed based on claims of head-of-state immunity.
While the prosecution of foreign officials in the United States remains rare, it has occurred in limited instances involving high-profile figures such as the son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, Russian nationals charged with war crimes in Ukraine, and a former Syrian prison warden. International law generally categorizes torture as a crime that allows for prosecution regardless of where the acts occurred or the nationality of those involved.
