Après sa capture, Maduro dit au tribunal à New York être un "prisonnier de guerre"
Facing US justice for the first time since his capture, ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared on Monday that he was a "prisoner of war," pleading not guilty in New York to drug trafficking charges.
"I am innocent," he declared, speaking in Spanish with the help of a translator before a judge in a Manhattan federal court, who formally notified him of his indictment on four counts, including narco-terrorism.
Appearing with him, his wife Cilia Flores, 69, also pleaded not guilty.
Dressed in beige trousers, an orange T-shirt with a black top over it, clothes probably provided at the time of his incarceration, Nicolas Maduro, 63, began by declaring: "I am the President of the Republic of Venezuela and I have been kidnapped here since Saturday, January 3. I was arrested at my home in Caracas, Venezuela...", before being interrupted by Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
"There will be a time and a place to discuss all of this," he told her, simply asking her to confirm her identity.
"I am Nicolas Maduro."
Smiling as he entered the room, the man who ruled Venezuela with an iron fist for more than 12 years took notes and followed the debates with headphones.
After informing him of the charges against him and hearing his plea of not guilty, the judge ordered that he be kept in custody in New York and appear again on March 17.
Since his arrival on American soil, Nicolas Maduro has been incarcerated in Brooklyn, in one of the largest detention centers in the United States, known for its unsanitary conditions and poor management.
Just a few dozen meters from the courthouse, his supporters and opponents faced each other.
Angel Montero, a 36-year-old Venezuelan, "wants to thank Donald Trump" for the spectacular military operation that led to the capture of Nicolas Maduro. Meanwhile, Sydney Loving, 31, came to oppose "American wars" and the capture of a foreign head of state.
In Caracas, thousands of supporters of the head of state marched at the government's call. During a new session of the National Assembly, deputies chanted "Go Nico!"
Nicolas Maduro and his wife are targeted in the United States by an indictment published Saturday, along with four other people - who have not been arrested - including Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, and Mr. Maduro's son.
The Venezuelan leader was "at the head of a corrupt and illegitimate government which, for decades, used the power of the state to protect and promote illegal activities, including drug trafficking. This trafficking enriched and solidified the grip of the Venezuelan political and military elite," the indictment reads.
He is accused of allying himself with guerrilla movements and criminal cartels to "smuggle tons of cocaine into the United States".
Delcy Rodriguez, officially sworn in as interim president of Venezuela on Monday, expressed her willingness to cooperate with the United States within the framework of "balanced and respectful relations (...), based on sovereign equality and non-interference".
The former vice-president of Nicolas Maduro is thus showing a first sign of openness towards Donald Trump, who warned her: "if she does not do what is necessary", she will suffer a worse fate than that reserved for the deposed president.
Many countries dispute the legality of the American intervention, which the United States presents as a "police operation".
During an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for respect for the "political independence" of states.
Some US allies, including the European Union, have expressed their concern. Emmanuel Macron stated that the "method used" by Washington to capture Nicolas Maduro was "neither supported nor approved" by France.
During the operation, 32 members of the Cuban security services were killed, the government of this country, an ally of Caracas, stated.
While claiming not to want to get involved in the political affairs of other countries, as the United States did in Iraq or Afghanistan in the 2000s, Donald Trump clearly expressed his interest in Venezuela's vast oil resources, the world's first proven crude oil reserves.
Commentaires (9)
But time will tell !
Trump tanque nioussou-niouko aye thiape bémouye khole bény place dou néck niite
Le dernier exemple identique (parce qu'il est passé, même leurs trolls ont arrêté de le nier ) était le scénario d'attaque de l'Iran concocté par Israël. Sachant que la défense aérienne iranienne est très performante, Israël a mis plus d'un an à louer des magasins, des sites, à l'intérieur de l'Iran pour y transférer des drones en pièces détachées. Ensuite les pièces devraient être montées sur place, et les attaques de drones lancées depuis l'intérieur de l'Iran même, en fait derrière les lignes de défense aérienne. Israël avait réussi à transférer des milliers de drones à l'intérieur de l'Iran.
La première question qu'une intelligence devrait se poser c'est: comment cela pourrait-il se faire sans traîtres iraniens ? Impossible. Quand l'Iran a découvert et saisi l'arsenal israélien, sa réponse a aussi été foudroyante. Et après enquêtes, qu'est-ce que l'Iran a fait des traîtres iraniens qui ont aidé à la mise en place de cette logistique israélienne ? Aucun d'eux ne respire sur cette terre à cet instant.
La Vérité est qu'aucun pays occidental n'a les moyens des guerres et terrorisme qu'ils sont obligés de mener pour vivre sans des traîtres au sein de nos populations. Ces traîtres sont obligatoires pour l'existence de leurs soit-disant "puissances militaires ". L'autre force, c'est leurs médias et la foi quasi religieuse que nos populations ont d'eux. Sans les traîtres parmi nous et les mensonges, l'Occident (les USA en tête) est un empire en faillite.
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