Maduro says he was ‘kidnapped,’ pleads not guilty in New York federal court

Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty in a New York court on Monday, his first hearing after being captured by the United States military last Saturday in Caracas.  “I am not guilty,” Maduro said after being read a summary of the charges against him, U.S. media outlets reported. “I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country,” he added, stating that he had been “kidnapped” and calling himself “a prisoner of war.” Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty. Flores had bandages and bruising on her face, the media reported. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has filed charges of narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and firearms offenses against Maduro, Flores, and others.  The indictment alleges a decades-long scheme involving Venezuelan officials and “narco-terrorist groups,” with charges stemming from alleged involvement in trafficking tons of cocaine into the United States and using machine guns and destructive devices. After the hearing, Maduro said, “In the name of God, I will be free.” Judge Alvin Hellerstein said the Venezuelan leader’s next appearance in court will be March 17 at 11 a.m., local time. The U.S. military intervention in Venezuela On Saturday morning, the United States staged a military intervention in Venezuela in which they captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.  At least 80 people were killed, according to the New York Times. Thirty-two victims were Cuban members of Maduro’s security team, Havana confirmed. A few hours after the operation, U.S. President Donald Trump held a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort, where he announced that his country would “run Venezuela until such time as we can have a safe, proper, and judicious transition.”  “We are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so,” he added.  Delcy Rodríguez, who until now was the Venezuelan vice president, was sworn in as “acting president” on Monday.  “She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again,” Trump told the press on Saturday. In an interview with The Atlantic on Sunday, Trump said that if Rodríguez “doesn’t do what’s right,” she would “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.”