Maduro and wife plead not guilty to new charges

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have pleaded not guilty to new US charges alleging they conspired to torture political opponents. If convicted, they could face a minimum of 50 years in prison. The indictment filed by US prosecutors on Thursday expands the existing criminal case against the couple, who previously pleaded not guilty to charges of abusing power to aid drug traffickers in shipping cocaine.

Maduro and Flores, who were captured by the US military in January and flown to New York, appeared in a Manhattan federal court for their arraignment. According to the charges, Maduro allegedly directed officials to torture opposition politicians and military personnel accused of plotting against him in 2014. The indictment also states that Flores agreed with the plan and dismissed an alternative method of gathering information.

Both Maduro and Flores are not accused of personally committing acts of torture. Their trial is set to begin on June 1, 2027, with each facing a mandatory minimum 50-year prison sentence if found guilty on all charges. The US and Venezuela have had tense relations during Maduro's 13-year rule as a socialist leader, with previous administrations imposing sanctions over alleged human rights violations, corruption, and election rigging.

The US military's January 3 raid to capture Maduro and Flores led to an improved relationship between the two nations, with Maduro's former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, now collaborating closely with the United States.