{"id":197370,"date":"2026-01-05T23:22:56","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T21:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/?p=197370"},"modified":"2026-01-05T23:22:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T21:22:57","slug":"i-am-not-guilty-i-am-a-decent-man-nicolas-maduro-pleads-to-the-charges-before-a-u-s-court-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/i-am-not-guilty-i-am-a-decent-man-nicolas-maduro-pleads-to-the-charges-before-a-u-s-court-video\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI AM NOT GUILTY! I AM A DECENT MAN!\u201d: Nicol\u00e1s Maduro Pleads to the Charges Before a U.S. Court! (VIDEO)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A hearing of the ousted Venezuelan president Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores has just begun at a New York court in Manhattan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The arrested president of Venezuela, Nicol\u00e1s Maduro, entered the courtroom and shook hands with his attorneys. He was wearing an orange T-shirt and a blue shirt over it, beige pants, and orange slippers, and he also had headphones so he could follow the translation. The judge also entered the courtroom, marking the start of the preliminary hearing at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan courthouse in Manhattan. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared before the federal court for an initial hearing on charges of narco-terrorism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the start of the proceedings, court officers thoroughly inspected Maduro\u2019s chair and the area around the defense table to ensure there were no prohibited items. Attorney Barry Pollack, who represented Maduro, shook hands with the prosecutors, while the other members of the defense team took their places at two tables opposite the prosecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maduro faced charges of conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of weapons and destructive devices, as well as conspiracy to possess weapons and destructive devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LIVE: Coverage of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro&#039;s first court appearance | NBC News\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xGF6z0fkBFs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Judge Alvin Hellerstein wished everyone in the courtroom good morning and explained his role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy job is to ensure that this is a fair trial,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He then began to read out the charges, which we listed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Judge Alvin Hellerstein asked Nicol\u00e1s Maduro to identify himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am the president of Venezuela, I was arrested in my home in Caracas, Venezuela,\u201d Maduro said in the courtroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hellerstein told him that he has the right to a lawyer free of charge if he cannot afford one and that he may be released before trial unless there is a reason that should not be the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI did not know about these rights, you have now informed me of them,\u201d Maduro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a summary of the charges against him was read, the ousted Venezuelan leader Maduro pleaded not guilty before the federal court in New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am not guilty,\u201d Maduro said when Judge Hellerstein asked how he pleaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am a decent man. I am still the president of my country,\u201d Maduro added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attention in the courtroom then shifted to Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u2019s wife, Cilia Flores, who was asked to stand and confirm her name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes, I am Cilia Flores Maduro, I am the first lady of Venezuela,\u201d she told the court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This echoed a similar tone to that of Maduro, who specifically emphasized in the courtroom that he is the president of Venezuela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Flores also stated that she is not guilty of the charges, adding in Spanish that she is \u201ccompletely innocent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The judge then informed Maduro and his wife that they have the right to speak with the Venezuelan consulate. Both defendants requested such a visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maduro said: \u201cYes, we understand and we would like that consular visit to take place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Flores replied: \u201cYes, I understand and I would like that consular visit to be carried out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hellerstein then ordered the prosecutors to provide the defense attorneys with the customary discovery in the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI understood and I am taking notes,\u201d Maduro said when asked whether he could follow the proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI would like my notes to be respected and to be allowed to keep them,\u201d Maduro said through an interpreter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both Maduro and his wife are wearing dark prison uniforms. There is one empty seat between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hellerstein said that he believes Maduro has the right to keep his notes. One prosecutor added that they would work with the defense attorneys and U.S. marshals to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMr. Maduro is not currently seeking release,\u201d his attorney told the judge regarding bail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Flores\u2019s attorney also said that she would not seek bail at this time. Their attorneys stated that they would file a request later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pollack said that he expects an \u201cextensive court debate on motions,\u201d stating that Maduro is the leader of a sovereign state and is entitled to the privileges and immunity of that position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pollack added that there are also legal issues regarding the legality of his military abduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pollack noted to the judge that \u201cthere are certain health and medical issues\u201d concerning Maduro \u201cthat will require attention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attorney Mark Donnelly said that \u201cas you can see,\u201d Flores sustained \u201cserious injuries during the abduction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He suggested that she may have a fracture or severe bruising to her ribs and that she will need a medical evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The hearing then concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next hearing will be held on March 17 at 11 a.m. local time, or 5 p.m. Central European Time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end, Maduro shook hands with his attorney before standing up to leave the courtroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He handed his notes to a U.S. marshal who escorted him out of the courtroom. The marshal examined the papers that Maduro handed over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maduro and his wife then left the courtroom, both dressed in the same prison uniforms: dark shirts and khaki pants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark><mark style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF;color:#d21414\" class=\"has-inline-color\">FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MADURO&#8217;S ARREST:<\/mark><\/mark><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/who-is-cilia-flores-maduros-wife-she-defended-hugo-chavez-as-a-lawyer-was-the-first-female-speaker-of-parliament-they-call-her-the-combat-force-of-socialism-video\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>WHO IS CILIA FLORES, MADURO\u2019S WIFE? She defended Hugo Ch\u00e1vez as a lawyer, was the first female speaker of parliament, they call her the \u201ccombat force of socialism\u201d (VIDEO)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/only-america-can-do-this-trump-addressed-the-world-and-shocked-with-a-statement-about-the-future-of-venezuela-here-is-who-will-lead-it-for-the-time-being\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">\u201cONLY AMERICA CAN DO THIS\u201d: Trump Addressed the World and Shocked With a Statement About the Future of Venezuela, Here Is Who Will Lead It for the Time Being!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/trump-announced-details-of-the-operation-it-is-known-where-maduro-and-his-wife-are-currently-located-video\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">TRUMP ANNOUNCED DETAILS OF THE OPERATION: It Is Known Where Maduro and His Wife Are Currently Located! (VIDEO)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> Telegraf, <strong>Foto:<\/strong> Printscreen X<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A hearing of the ousted Venezuelan president Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores has just begun at a New York court in Manhattan. The arrested president of Venezuela, Nicol\u00e1s Maduro, entered the courtroom and shook hands with his attorneys. He was wearing an orange T-shirt and a blue shirt over it, beige pants, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2169,"featured_media":197371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[71,1617,8382,906,23,259,6565,15],"class_list":["post-197370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking","tag-amerika","tag-hapsenje","tag-nikolas-maduro","tag-optuzbe","tag-sad","tag-sud","tag-venecuela","tag-video","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Serbiantimes.info EN","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2169"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=197370"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197370\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":197402,"href":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197370\/revisions\/197402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/197371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=197370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=197370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}