Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores plead not guilty to torture-related charges in New York

Nicolás Maduro, the former President of Venezuela, and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in a federal court in New York on Thursday to plead not guilty to new charges of conspiracy to commit torture. The US government initially charged Maduro with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons-related offenses, and added new charges against him and Flores last week. The couple was captured in January during a US military operation and has been in jail in New York since then. They have both pleaded not guilty and are seeking to have the case dismissed on the grounds of sovereign immunity. Their trial is scheduled for June 2027. In the recent indictment, prosecutors allege that Maduro and Flores established a violent system of repression that resulted in the deaths, harassment, and torture of thousands of Venezuelans. Maduro denied the charges in court, stating, "I reject this document entirely," while Judge Alvin Hellerstein entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. Flores also asserted her innocence, saying, "I am completely innocent. I am not guilty." Both appeared in beige jail uniforms and showed signs of weight loss during their detention. The indictment details various alleged torture methods, including electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, and psychological torture. Additionally, the US has accused Maduro of authorizing torture against specific individuals, including US citizens. Maduro has previously described the charges as part of an imperial agenda to access Venezuela's oil reserves. Flores has sought release on bond due to health issues but was denied by a judge.