Maduro declares himself innocent before the US justice system: "I am the president of Venezuela"

WashingtonDonald Trump wanted an image of humiliation. Deposed President Nicolás Maduro responded with one of resistance and defiance. Dressed in a short-sleeved blue shirt over his orange prison uniform, the Venezuelan leader defended his continued authority as head of the Bolivarian Republic from the Manhattan courtroom. "I am a decent man, I am still the president of my country," the Chavista leader declared before Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein after pleading not guilty to the charges of narcoterrorism and cocaine trafficking against him. While Maduro was making this statement, in Caracas, the Venezuelan National Assembly was preparing to swear in Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as the country's new interim leader. Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, with her head bandaged and a blue eyeliner near her right eye, also pleaded not guilty. "I am the First Lady of the Republic of Venezuela," she told the U.S. judge in Spanish.

The first court appearance of Maduro and his wife lasted just over thirty minutes after their capture early Saturday morning as part of a US military operation. The Venezuelan leader not only declared himself "innocent" but also denounced being "kidnapped" by the United States. Maduro also asserted that he had not been informed of the charges against him or his rights until now, 48 hours after his arrest. "I was unaware of these rights," he said in Spanish through his interpreter: "You, Your Honor, are informing me of them now."

The Maduros' lawyer, Barry Pollack, questioned "the legality of the military kidnapping" of his client. The lawyerwhich also brought Julian Assange's defense And, being experienced in dealing with Washington, he warned the judge that there will be "voluminous" filings on the matter and others before the trial. The next hearing has been set for March 17, and the couple has agreed to remain in custody for now.

The appearance also provided insight into the health conditions of Maduro and Flores. In the hours following the couple's abduction, the US administration released images and videos of them sparingly; they were always escorted by federal agents and dressed in tracksuits. It appears that Flores, 69, may have a serious rib fracture or contusion. It was allegedly provoked during her arrest, According to her lawyer, Mark Donnelly, who requested the hearing end early so she could receive medical attention. As she left the courtroom, a man stood up in the gallery and called out to Maduro in Spanish that he would pay for his crimes. The Venezuelan leader turned away, saying he would secure his freedom and declared himself a "prisoner of war."

Cocaine trafficking, not fentanyl

The Justice Department accuses Maduro and his government of conspiring and collaborating with drug trafficking groups to smuggle tons of cocaine into the United States. The 25-page indictment levels a series of charges against Maduro, Flores, his son, and several high-ranking government officials (including Diosdado Cabello, a powerful figure in Chavismo) for alleged ties to criminal groups such as the Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, and even the now-defunct FARC. Last fall, the State Department designated the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization and identified Maduro as its leader.

The indictment, signed by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton of the Southern District of New York, contrasts with previous reports prepared by U.S. intelligence. In April, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence concluded that, while some members of the Chavista regime might be tolerating or working with the Tren de Aragua gang, there was no evidence of organized cooperation. In fact, it noted that both Maduro and his officials viewed the Tren de Aragua (which Trump has also designated a terrorist organization) as a threat.

Washington is treating the legal process to legitimize the intervention almost as a formality. The stage is set, but little effort is put into convincing the public. It's unnecessary when the rhetoric of violence has already been used. After months of positioning fentanyl as the prime example to legitimize a supposed war on drugs that has claimed the lives of more than 100 people killed in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific, the charges against Maduro are for cocaine trafficking. On Saturday, after capturing the Venezuelan leader, Trump reiterated this point: "They've been sending enough of that horrible fentanyl and other things like cocaine and the rest, but right now fentanyl is the pack leader when it comes to killing our entire nation, because a tiny amount of mine..."

Political Interests

In a way, the indictment of Maduro for cocaine trafficking, rather than fentanyl trafficking, confirms what many experts have pointed out about Trump's supposed war on drugs: there is little fight against drugs and many political interests at play. Almost all the fentanyl that reaches the United States is produced in Mexico, using chemicals imported from China, as the DEA has demonstrated in its reports. As for Venezuela, it plays a virtually unknown role in the entire scheme.

The Justice Department's indictment places much of the spotlight on Venezuela's role in cocaine trafficking. Beyond attributing links to the Tren de Aragua gang, it also accuses the country of collaborating with other groups in Colombia and Mexico. However, the South American nation has long ceased to be a major cocaine production center, and much of the cocaine it produces is destined for Europe, not the United States. Estimates made by the State Department itself in 2020 indicated that between 200 and 250 metric tons of cocaine left Venezuela annually. This represents only between 10 and 13% of the global total. Compared to Venezuela, other countries like Guatemala traffic far more drugs. In 2018, the administration's data indicated approximately 1,400 metric tons originating from Guatemala.