Maduro and Flores Plead Not Guilty to Torture Charges

Nicolás Maduro, the ousted President of Venezuela, and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in a United States federal court in New York on October 15, pleading not guilty to new allegations of conspiracy to torture political opponents and American citizens. Maduro, 63, rejected the charges as “false” while dressed in prison clothing and glasses.

The couple faces a superseding indictment that expands their criminal case, which includes accusations of using torture and political repression to maintain power for over two decades. The US Department of Justice alleges that Maduro authorized torture against specific individuals after becoming president in 2013 and oversaw a system involving military and law enforcement targeting dissidents.

The indictment includes charges of conspiracy to commit torture, narcoterrorism, and cocaine-importation, with potential sentences of up to life imprisonment. Their trial is scheduled for June 14, 2027.