Nicolás Maduro rejected new torture allegations during a court appearance in New York on Thursday. The claims form part of a rewritten drug-trafficking indictment against the former Venezuelan president and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Judge Alvin K Hellerstein entered not-guilty pleas for both defendants. Maduro, speaking through an interpreter, criticised the indictment when asked twice to enter a plea. Flores also denied the charges through an interpreter.
The indictment alleges that the couple led a state-backed campaign of repression in which scores of people, including three Americans, were tortured. It accuses Maduro of recommending methods and receiving updates about victims, while Flores allegedly helped develop the system and ordered the torture of particular people.
US troops seized the couple from their Caracas home in January. Maduro, who had been Venezuela’s president since 2013, has also faced a years-long International Criminal Court investigation into alleged crimes against humanity linked to a crackdown on opponents. He has denied wrongdoing.
Please note! Comments are published by readers. The opinions expressed may not reflect the position of the editorial team. NYCT is not responsible for the content of readers' opinions and asks authors to observe moral standards, not to incite national or racial hatred, and to avoid rudeness. Think before you speak. You are responsible for your words! By publishing an opinion, you agree to the rules! If this request is ignored, NYCT reserves the right to deprive the user of the ability to leave comments.