<\/p>\n
Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted into a Manhattan federal courtroom, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Williams\/AP<\/p>\n
Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, far right, listens as his defense attorney, Barry Pollack, center, addresses Judge Alvin Hellerstien (not pictured), as Maduro’s wife Cilia Flores, far left, looks on. Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Manhattan federal court inNew York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Williams\/AP<\/p>\n
Demonstrators protest outside Manhattan federal court before a pre-trial hearing in former Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s drug trafficking case, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in New York.<\/p>\n
Heather Khalifa\/AP<\/p>\n
A woman screams during a government-organized event to watch former President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores appear in a New York court on a screen in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, March 26, 2026.<\/p>\n
Ariana Cubillos\/AP<\/p>\n
A motorcade carrying former Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro makes its way along FDR Drive after departing Manhattan federal court after a pre-trial hearing in Maduro’s drug trafficking case, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in New York.<\/p>\n
Seth Wenig\/AP<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 A U.S. judge pressed the Trump administration Thursday about its basis for barring Venezuela\u2019s government from paying former President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro’s legal fees in the drug trafficking case that has put him behind bars in New York.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As Maduro and Cilia Flores, his wife and co-defendant, looked on in beige jail uniforms, his lawyers argued that the U.S. is violating the deposed leader\u2019s constitutional rights by blocking Venezuelan government money from being used for the couple’s legal costs. The U.S. government hasn’t let the funds flow because of sanctions against the South American country.<\/p>\n
Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n
Judge Alvin Hellerstein questioned why the prosecution’s argument still stands, now that U.S. and Venezuelan relations have warmed. Since Maduro’s capture by U.S. military forces in January, Venezuela and the U.S. have reestablished diplomatic relations, Washington has eased economic sanctions on Venezuela\u2019s crucial oil industry, and the U.S. has dispatched a charg\u00e9 d\u2019affaires to Caracas.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have changed the situation in Venezuela,\u201d Hellerstein observed, suggesting that the argument for continuing to block the defense funds has changed with it: \u201cThe current paramount goal and need and constitutional right is the right to defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
He didn’t issue a ruling, however, nor say when he will.<\/p>\n
As supporters and opponents rallied outside, Maduro and Flores made their first court appearance since a January arraignment at which he declared: \u201cI am not guilty. I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country.\u201d Flores has also pleaded not guilty.<\/p>\n
Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n
A 25-page indictment accused Maduro and others of working with drug cartels and members of the military to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. He and Flores also are accused of ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of those who owed them drug money or undermined their trafficking operation. If convicted, they face life in prison.<\/p>\n
Maduro and Flores remain jailed in Brooklyn, and neither has asked to be released on bail. Hellerstein has yet to set a trial date.<\/p>\n
Rallies held before court hearing<\/p>\n
In a noisy scene outside the Manhattan courthouse, contrasting groups of demonstrators chanted, blew horns and beat drums and cowbells. Among Maduro critics, one person waved a sign reading \u201cMaduro rot in prison.\u201d On the other side of a metal barrier, people held signs reading \u201cFree President Maduro.\u201d<\/p>\n
Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n
In Caracas, hundreds of people gathered at a public plaza, including ruling party supporters, state employees and civilian militia members. One attendee, retiree Eduardo Cubillan, said he was there to pray for Maduro and Flores and condemn the violation of Venezuela\u2019s sovereignty during the Jan. 3 operation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope that in the United States, if justice truly exists, a trial will be held that will lead to President Maduro\u2019s freedom, because this kidnapping violated international legal principles, and we want justice to be served,\u201d Cubillan, 80, said.<\/p>\n
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, continue to enjoy some support in Venezuela, with murals and billboards across Caracas demanding their return. But while Maduro’s ruling party remains in power, he has slowly been erased from the government of Delcy Rodr\u00edguez, Venezuela’s acting president.<\/p>\n
Rodr\u00edguez has replaced senior officials including Maduro\u2019s faithful defense minister and attorney general. She has reorganized agencies, appointed ambassadors and eliminated tenets of the self-proclaimed socialist movement that has ruled Venezuela for more than two decades.<\/p>\n
Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n
In court Thursday, Hellerstein cut off Flores\u2019 lawyer, Mark Donnelly, when he referred to her as \u201cthe first lady,\u201d telling him: \u201cThere are no titles to be used in this court.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the hearing was ending, Maduro held up two fingers in a \u201cV,\u201d a gesture that has become a symbol in Venezuela \u2014 portrayed in murals with the slogan \u201cNosotros Venceremos,\u201d or \u201cWe Shall Overcome\u201d \u2014 since he flashed it upon arriving in New York in January.<\/p>\n
\u201cHasta ma\u00f1ana,\u201d he said, shaking hands with Pollack before officers escorted him out.<\/p>\n
Funding for defense a key early issue<\/p>\n
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Wirshba noted that the sanctions, in place long before Maduro and Flores were charged, were driven by allegations that Maduro’s government was cracking down on free speech and plundering Venezuelan wealth.<\/p>\n
Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n
Allowing them to use Venezuelan government funds to defend themselves in a case arising from that conduct would \u201cundermine the sanctions,\u201d Wirshba said.<\/p>\n
The U.S. has said Maduro and Flores can use personal funds to pay his lawyers. They have said they don’t have the money.<\/p>\n
Maduro lawyer Barry Pollack contended that if Maduro got public defenders, the complex case would sap legal resources meant for people who can\u2019t afford their own attorneys. That doesn’t make sense, he argued, in \u201ca case where you have someone other than the U.S. taxpayer standing ready, willing and able to fund that defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pollack wants the case thrown out, but Hellerstein ruled out doing so \u2014 at least for now, saying he didn’t want to consider \u201csuch a serious step\u201d when another remedy is available. He said Pollack could revisit the request if the Treasury Department doesn\u2019t relent on its decision to bar Venezuela from paying Maduro’s legal fees.<\/p>\n
Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n
Trump comments on the case<\/p>\n
During a Cabinet meeting Thursday in Washington, President Donald Trump accused Maduro of being a \u201cmajor purveyor of drugs coming into our country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump said Maduro would be given \u201ca fair trial.\u201d<\/p>\n
Post-Maduro, everyday life for most Venezuelans remains the same.<\/p>\n
Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n
Many public-sector employees earn just about $160 per month, while the average private-sector worker makes about $237. Last year the annual inflation rate soared to 475%, according to Venezuela\u2019s central bank, putting the cost of food and other essentials beyond the reach of many.<\/p>\n
Garcia Cano reported from Caracas. Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted into a Manhattan federal courtroom, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in New…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":176420,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[43029,70476,42393,153,71552,71571,71485,75,84,83,71630,9,24,15862,63,833,834,3065,2336,829,831,27231,7318],"class_list":["post-176754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-manhattan","tag-alvin-hellerstein","tag-barry-pollack","tag-cilia-flores","tag-donald-trump","tag-eduardo-cubillan","tag-kyle-wirshba","tag-maduro-venezuela-trump-criminal-case","tag-manhattan","tag-manhattan-headlines","tag-manhattan-news","tag-mark-donnelly","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nicolas-maduro","tag-nyc","tag-package-100024-ap-online","tag-package-100373-mc-complete-state-national","tag-product-30083-ap-new-york-city-news-no-weather","tag-product-30085-ap-new-york-state-news-no-weather","tag-product-30598-ap-national-news-report-a-wire","tag-product-31998-ap-online-national-news","tag-product-46986-ap-online-top-stories","tag-venezuela"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176754\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}