US Court Schedules Trial for President Maduro in June 2027
New York City (ANTARA) - Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will begin their trial process on 1 June 2027, according to a ruling by a US judge on Wednesday (22/7).
The couple, who have pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking and firearms possession, appeared in a New York court for the third time after being forcibly apprehended by US forces in a military raid in early January this year.
During a 15-minute hearing on Wednesday, Judge Alvin Hellerstein set the trial date at the request of lawyers from both sides.
Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, said he would first file an objection to the indictment on grounds of sovereign immunity, because if the judge grants the objection, Maduro would no longer need to proceed with the legal process in this case.
On 3 January, US military forces launched a large-scale attack on Venezuela and forcibly captured Maduro and his wife before taking them both to New York. The US assault shocked the international community, triggering a wave of condemnation and grave concern from around the world.
At his first arraignment on 5 January, Maduro pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him by the US, including allegations of drug trafficking.
Maduro and his wife have been held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, New York, since their capture in Caracas.
Protesters gathered on Wednesday outside the heavily guarded Manhattan courthouse building. They demanded Maduro’s immediate release and opposed any form of US military intervention abroad.
Allison Gunderson, a protester from Minneapolis, told Xinhua that the US is prosecuting the president of a sovereign nation after kidnapping him illegally.
“This action is unjust and it is a criminal act,” said Gunderson.
Tom Burke, a member of the steering committee of the Anti-War Action Network, argued that the kidnapping, detention and trial of the Venezuelan president contravenes international law. “We will oppose it at every stage,” said Burke.
“Essentially, the US is carrying out an armed robbery,” he said. “The whole world is watching, and people no longer trust the US government,” he added.
Sara Flounders, a US political writer, highlighted that Wednesday marked the 200th day since Maduro was kidnapped.
“We do not forget these times. We do not forget their crimes. We fight against every one of those crimes, and we build solidarity through all these struggles,” said Flounders, referring to US operations abroad, including in Venezuela, Iran and Cuba.