Nicolás Maduro has pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges in a New York court on Monday, after being captured in Caracas in an extraordinary US raid.
According to US media reports, Maduro entered the plea in the Manhattan courthouse after he and his wife were charged with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and firearms offences.
“I’m innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country,” Maduro said, before being cut off by the judge. His wife Cilia Flores also pleaded not guilty.
The next hearing was set for March 17.
US forces extracted Maduro from his compound in Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday, in a move that sent shockwaves around the world and sparked concerns from lawmakers and others that the Trump administration may have breached international law.
Ahead of the hearing, dozens of protesters gathered in sub-zero temperatures outside the courthouse, with some bearing signs calling for Maduro and his wife to be freed and at least one holding a Trump flag. Others held signs saying “USA hands off Venezuela”.
Prosecutors say Maduro ran an organisation that dispatched thousands of tonnes of cocaine to the US and enabled corruption that enriched his family.
The case could raise questions about the circumstances of Maduro’s capture and a statement by Trump at the weekend that he planned to “run” Venezuela until a transition of power.
The hearing will be an early-stage formality to inform Maduro of the charges and his rights. A trial could be a long way off.
In other developments on Monday:
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Shares in some major US-listed oil companies rose.
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Chevron, already operating in Venezuela under a licence from the Trump administration, was up about 5 per cent.
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Venezuelan bonds extended their rally of the past year, as the country’s sovereign debt surges 25 per cent.
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US President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened a second strike unless the government in Venezuela “behave”.
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Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s de facto leader, issued a conciliatory statement and offered to “collaborate” with the US.