Venezuela's Maduro denies US torture charges as 'false accusations'
Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to new torture charges in a US court, with Maduro rejecting them as “false accusations” and Flores declaring, “I am completely innocent, I am not guilty.”
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared in a New York court on Thursday (Oct 15) to plead not guilty to charges of torture. Prosecutors allege they orchestrated acts of violence including waterboarding, rape, and beatings on detainees, some of whom were American citizens. Maduro, who has referred to himself as a prisoner of war, dismissed the charges as "false accusations" during a 35-minute hearing.
His wife, wearing the same prison jumpsuit as her husband, stated, "I am completely innocent, I am not guilty." Prosecutors claim the couple used torture to intimidate, harass, and neutralize their opponents, including through kidnappings. In one instance, an American was allegedly tortured with electric shocks, asphyxiation, beatings, and forced injections, according to a court filing.
Both Maduro and Flores are currently in Brooklyn jail, facing additional drug trafficking and firearms charges, and are scheduled for a trial in June.
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- Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro pleads not guilty to torture abcnews.com
- Nicolás Maduro y Cilia Flores se declaran “no culpables” de los cargos de tortura elpais.com
- Venezuela's Maduro due in NYC court over conspiracy to commit torture charges cbsnews.com
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