The sound of clanking leg shackles could be heard moments before Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro walked into the door of a New York City courtroom for the first time. He then told packed rows of reporters and the public that he had just been 'kidnapped'. Minutes after his entrance, the Judge Alvin Hellerstein asked Maduro to confirm his identity so the proceedings could start. 'I am, sir, Nicolás Maduro. I am president of the Republic of Venezuela and I am here kidnapped since January 3rd,' he told the court in a calm Spanish before an interpreter translated for the court. 'I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela.' The 92-year-old judge quickly interjected to tell Maduro that there would be a 'time and a place to get into all of this'.
During the dramatic 40-minute arraignment on Monday afternoon, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to drugs and weapon charges. 'I'm innocent. I'm a decent man,' Maduro said, with his wife adding that she was 'completely innocent'. The 63-year-old and his wife were transferred to a New York jail after they were arrested by US forces at their compound in Venezuela on Saturday, as part of a surprise overnight operation that also saw strikes on military bases.
Dressed in blue and orange jail shirts and khaki pants, the two wore headphones to listen to a Spanish translation during the hearing, with an attorney sitting between them. Maduro took meticulous notes on a yellow legal pad that he asked a judge to confirm he could keep with him after the hearing.
When he walked into the room - where Sean 'Diddy' Combs was tried months earlier - Maduro nodded to several audience members. He maintained a calm demeanor throughout, despite hecklers calling out cries for justice against him. 'I'm a president and prisoner of war,' he shouted back.
The mood in the courtroom was heavy, especially for a Venezuelan journalist who reported that her home was damaged during the missile strikes accompanying Maduro's arrest. Flores, with visible injuries, sought medical attention during the session. The couple did not seek bail and remain in federal custody as they face allegations of narcotics and weapons charges. The next court hearing is set for March 17.
During the dramatic 40-minute arraignment on Monday afternoon, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to drugs and weapon charges. 'I'm innocent. I'm a decent man,' Maduro said, with his wife adding that she was 'completely innocent'. The 63-year-old and his wife were transferred to a New York jail after they were arrested by US forces at their compound in Venezuela on Saturday, as part of a surprise overnight operation that also saw strikes on military bases.
Dressed in blue and orange jail shirts and khaki pants, the two wore headphones to listen to a Spanish translation during the hearing, with an attorney sitting between them. Maduro took meticulous notes on a yellow legal pad that he asked a judge to confirm he could keep with him after the hearing.
When he walked into the room - where Sean 'Diddy' Combs was tried months earlier - Maduro nodded to several audience members. He maintained a calm demeanor throughout, despite hecklers calling out cries for justice against him. 'I'm a president and prisoner of war,' he shouted back.
The mood in the courtroom was heavy, especially for a Venezuelan journalist who reported that her home was damaged during the missile strikes accompanying Maduro's arrest. Flores, with visible injuries, sought medical attention during the session. The couple did not seek bail and remain in federal custody as they face allegations of narcotics and weapons charges. The next court hearing is set for March 17.
