Nicolas Maduro is back in court in Manhattan. He faces life imprisonment for “narco-terrorism”

Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela, deposed in January as a result of American military intervention, was again brought before a federal court in Manhattan on Thursday. He is accused of narco-terrorism and drug smuggling into the USA and faces life imprisonment.

The preliminary hearing before the trial begins is led by 92-year-old Judge Alvin Hellerstein.

The Maduro case is of great interest. To secure a place in the courtroom, the first people waiting, including numerous press representatives, appeared in front of the court building at 6 a.m. Both supporters and opponents of the former Venezuelan leader gathered in front of the building on Thursday.

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are accused of ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of people who were in arrears with drug payments or questioned their smuggling activities. According to AP, the charges include: murder of a drug lord in Caracas. If found guilty, the defendants face life imprisonment.

As President Donald Trump announced on Thursday during a cabinet meeting at the White House, the United States will bring further charges against the deposed Venezuelan leader.

Maduro's defense demands that the indictment be dismissed. Lawyers argue that the U.S. administration's actions prevented the government in Caracas from funding a legal team, in violation of the constitutional right to defense.

Maduro and his wife came to the United States as a result of the operation of American forces carried out on January 3 in Caracas. According to Reuters, they were taken to New York after being detained in what the Trump administration describes as the execution of an arrest warrant.

Venezuelan authorities call this action a kidnapping, emphasizing the political nature of the case, while US authorities maintain that it is a legal act of bringing the accused to justice in the US.

The prosecutor's office accuses Maduro and Flores of participating in a network cooperating with drug cartels in transporting large amounts of cocaine to the United States. As reported by the Associated Press, the indictment also includes allegations of violence against people involved in the operation, including ordering kidnappings and murders. Reuters points out that this case is one of the most famous examples of the application of regulations regarding so-called narco-terrorism in the US.

During his first court appearance in early January, Maduro pleaded not guilty. He emphasized then that he considered himself the rightful president of his country. After the trial, he and Flores were placed in federal custody in Brooklyn.

One of the main points of dispute remains the issue of defense financing. According to Reuters, lawyer Barry Pollack argued that the US Department of Treasury (Finance) first allowed the Venezuelan state to cover the costs, and then withdrew this consent. The prosecutor's office counters that the United States does not recognize Maduro as the legal leader of Venezuela, which excludes access to funds controlled by the sanctioned government.

Because the case is in federal court, cameras are not allowed in the courtroom and the use of most electronic devices is prohibited. Only handwritten notes are allowed. A court illustrator is present on site, whose task is to visually document the course of the hearing.

Andrzej Dobrowolski from New York (PAP)

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