Combatif, he was then presented as the “president of the Republic of Venezuela” in office “kidnapped” by the United States, defining himself as a “prisoner of war” since his arrival on US soil on January 3rd. Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores have been incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, a federal prison known for its unhealthiness and mismanagement. Alone in his cell, without access to the internet and newspapers, the man known as “the president” reads the Bible, according to his entourage. He also “exercises,” said his son Nicolas Maduro Guerra from Caracas, who assured that the court would see “a slim, athletic president” appear.
The Stakes of the Procedure
Thursday’s hearing aims mainly to resolve procedural issues, prior to any substantive examination. Pursued in the United States on four charges, including narco-terrorism, the former head of state is accused of protecting and promoting a large drug trafficking operation, aligning himself with guerrilla movements and criminal cartels considered “terrorists” by Washington. Cilia Flores faces three charges, mainly for acting as an intermediary between drug traffickers and high-ranking officials of the country. While both plead not guilty, their lawyers request the dismissal of the indictment.
At the heart of their argumentation: the American administration prevents the Venezuelan state from paying the defense costs of the couple, due to the international sanctions imposed on their country. According to the defense, prohibiting an accused person from having access to a lawyer of their choice is a violation of a right guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment of the American Constitution. “The only solution is to drop the charges, as this court cannot allow this case to continue in violation of their constitutional rights,” write the defense.
The Role of Judge Hellerstein
Tasked with resolving this initial dispute, 92-year-old New York justice veteran Judge Alvin Hellerstein will also preside over the trial of the former head of state on a date that has not yet been determined. Experienced in high-profile cases, he has been handling the extensive drug trafficking case in which Nicolas Maduro is indicted, a case that already led to the conviction of former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo Armando Carvajal.
