Maduro and Flores Plead Not Guilty to New Torture Charges in New York

Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to new charges in New York that allege they conspired to commit torture as part of a "violent system of repression." The couple, who were apprehended in January and are currently detained in Brooklyn, are also facing earlier charges including narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons offenses.

Prosecutors allege that Maduro and Flores "created and maintained a violent system of repression" that led to the deaths, harassment, and torture of thousands of Venezuelans. The indictment details alleged torture methods such as electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, punishment cells, and psychological torture. The US government also claims Maduro authorized the use of torture against specific individuals, including US citizens.

Maduro, speaking through a translator in court, rejected the new accusations as "false." "I reject this document entirely," he stated. Judge Alvin Hellerstein entered a plea of not guilty on Maduro's behalf. Flores also declared her innocence, saying, "I am completely innocent. I am not guilty."

Maduro and Flores have both argued for dismissal of the charges, asserting sovereign immunity as the leaders of a sovereign nation and challenging the legality of their apprehension by US forces. Their trial is currently scheduled for June 2027. Both appeared in court wearing beige jail uniforms and reportedly have lost weight during their detention.

Flores had previously petitioned for bond, citing heart problems and other health issues while held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, but her request was unsuccessful. The initial charges against Maduro included engaging in a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy with cartels designated as terrorist groups, charges he has previously dismissed as part of an "imperial" effort to control Venezuela's oil reserves.