Maduro denied guilt before the court, protests in front of the court and an emergency session of the UN Security Council due to the arrest of the President of Venezuela
To overthrow Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who was arrested by US forces in Caracas on January 3rd, and his wife, Celia Flores, pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court on Monday (January 5th) afternoon to four federal charges after being extradited by the US in a dramatic military operation.
Maduro is accused of overseeing a cocaine-trafficking network that cooperated with violent groups, including Mexico's Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombia's FARC rebels and Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang.
Maduro appeared before Judge Alvin Hellerstein and introduced himself as the "imprisoned" leader of Venezuela before pleading not guilty to the charges.
"I am innocent. I am a decent man," Maduro told the judge, according to the Independent.
The next hearing is scheduled for March 17, according to American media.
Maduro and his wife were taken from their compound in Caracas on Saturday (January 3rd) and flown to the United States in a special operation.
Upon arrival in the US, they were transferred to the Metropolitan Prison in Brooklyn, New York.
Maduro was arrested on the orders of US President Donald Trump, who monitored the entire operation from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
US authorities announced that no US forces were killed in the operation, while Cuba claims that 32 Cubans were killed during Maduro's arrest.
Protest before the court
Several dozen protesters gathered in front of the court before Maduro's hearing.
They chant slogans in Spanish, with the number of demonstrators supporting Maduro outnumbering those against him.
Many of those gathered carry Venezuelan flags and banners, writes the BBC.
Session of the UN Security Council
Photo: AP Photo/Frank Franklin IIEmergency session of the United Nations
Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Venezuela is being held in New York.
The session was convened at the request of Colombia and Venezuela, and their request was supported by China and Russia.
At the beginning of the session, the Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzya said that there is no justification for the "crime in Venezuela" by condemning the "armed aggression" of the USA, and demanded that the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro and his wife be released immediately.
Arrests in Venezuela
Venezuelan authorities have announced an order to the police to immediately begin arresting all persons involved in providing support for the US military attack.
The order was issued as part of the Caracas government's decision to impose a state of emergency after US forces arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and transferred him to the US for trial.
The state of emergency has been in effect since Saturday, but the full text of the decision was only published today, according to Reuters.
Source: Reuters/CNN/BBC/N1
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