Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro is scheduled to make his first appearance in a Manhattan court on Thursday, following his unexpected arrest. The embattled ex-president aims to have his drug-trafficking charges dismissed.
The 63-year-old Maduro argues that U.S. government actions are hindering his defense against the serious narco-terror accusations he faces. He claims that sanctions are preventing the Venezuelan government from funding his legal team.
According to Barry Pollack, the defense attorney known for representing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control initially approved but later revoked a license allowing Venezuela to finance Maduro’s legal expenses.
Prosecutors maintain that Maduro has the option to use his own funds for legal fees, a possibility he insists is beyond his financial means.
Since their arraignment in January, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, 69, have been detained at a facility in Brooklyn. Flores is also expected to be present in court on Thursday.
During a previous hearing, Maduro proclaimed, “I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country.”
Maduro and Flores were indicted on narco-terrorism charges after being snatched from their Caracas mansion by US forces.
The former strongman is accused of running a âcorrupt, illegitimate government,â which âleveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking.â
A trial date has not yet been set.
With Post wires
