15.10.2026 15:50
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, whom the US abducted from their home in Caracas on January 3 and took to New York, will appear before a judge today in a federal court in Manhattan under a new indictment in which they are accused of conspiring to torture political opponents. The couple, who could face at least 50 years in prison if convicted on all charges, deny the accusations.
(ANKARA) -
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, abducted by the United States, will appear before a judge today in federal court in New York under a new indictment accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents. At the hearing, expected to begin at 11:00 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Manhattan, Maduro and Flores are expected to present their defenses regarding the torture charges. The new charges announced last week expanded the scope of the case previously brought against the couple over drug trafficking allegations. Both individuals deny the torture charges.
WHAT IS IN THE INDICTMENT?
The indictment alleged that Maduro in 2014 ordered the abduction of military personnel in order to obtain information about possible opponents, and told officials to increase pressure after some individuals resisted during interrogation. According to the indictment, Flores also supported the plan and rejected the alternative proposal to infiltrate military circles to gather information. It was stated that Maduro and Flores are not accused of personally carrying out acts of torture.
It was reported that Maduro and Flores could face at least 50 years in prison if convicted on all charges, and the trial phase of the case is planned to begin on June 1, 2027.
WAS ABDUCTED FROM HIS HOME ON JANUARY 3
Maduro and Flores were abducted in an operation on their home in Caracas on January 3 on the orders of U.S. President Donald Trump and taken to New York. The couple has since been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Defense lawyers, who had also previously denied the drug trafficking charges, argued that the case should be dismissed on grounds of immunity stemming from Maduro's presidency and Flores's status as first lady.
After Maduro was abducted and imprisoned, his former deputy Delcy Rodriguez took over Venezuela's administration and increased cooperation with the United States.
During Maduro's time in power, which began when he assumed the presidency in 2013 after Hugo Chavez, relations between Venezuela and the United States became strained. The U.S. administration at the time imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials and state companies over allegations of human rights violations, corruption, and interference in elections.
Maduro, in turn, accused Washington of trying to remove him from power in order to gain more control over the country's natural resources.