Former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges including drug trafficking during a court appearance in Manhattan, two days after US forces captured him in a raid on his Caracas residence.
Maduro, 63, told a federal judge, “I’m innocent. I’m not guilty.” Speaking in Spanish through an interpreter, he added, “I’m president of the Republic of Venezuela and I’m here kidnapped since January 3, Saturday. I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela.”
Smiling as he entered the courtroom in an orange shirt and beige trousers, Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty. The judge ordered both to remain in custody and set a new hearing for 17 March.
The couple was seized by US commandos in early morning airstrikes on Saturday, supported by warplanes and naval forces. Following the operation, Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former deputy, was sworn in as interim president, prompting thousands of supporters to march through Caracas.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado criticised Rodriguez, calling her “one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narcotrafficking” and saying she was “rejected” by the Venezuelan people. Speaking to Fox News from an undisclosed location, Machado added that she plans to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible” after leaving the country last month to accept her Nobel Peace Prize.
US President Donald Trump stated that the United States is “in charge” in Venezuela and intends to oversee the country’s oil industry, which is extensive but in poor condition. He told NBC News that elections in Caracas would not be possible in the immediate future, arguing, “We have to fix the country first. You can’t have an election. There’s no way the people could even vote.” However, US House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested an election “should happen in short order”.
Maduro has been in power since 2013, succeeding Hugo Chavez. The United States and the European Union have accused him of rigging elections, imprisoning opponents, and overseeing corruption. His removal leaves Venezuela’s 30 million citizens facing political and economic uncertainty.
Brian Naranjo, a former US diplomat in Venezuela, warned that instability could intensify. He highlighted potential challenges to Rodriguez’s authority from Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and her brother, Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela’s legislature, saying, “Delcy had better be sleeping with one eye open right now because right behind her are two men who would be more than happy to cut her throat and take control themselves.”
In the wider geopolitical context, Trump has signalled an assertive approach abroad, mentioning Cuba and Greenland as territories he believes could fall under US influence. Analysts have expressed concern that the Venezuelan operation may disregard international law.
Details of the US operation in Caracas remain emerging. Havana reported 32 Cuban deaths in the raid, while US officials confirmed some injuries but no fatalities among their personnel. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said nearly 200 US personnel were involved in the operation.
Maduro now faces legal proceedings in New York while Venezuela navigates a transition under interim leadership, with the political and economic situation remaining uncertain.
