Nicolás Maduro appeared this Wednesday for the third time before the federal court for the Southern District of New York, exactly 200 days after his capture, and the eyewitnesses agreed in describing a transformed man: thinner, grayer, and noticeably more docile than in his previous appearances.
The hearing -which lasted between 13 and 20 minutes- concluded with a historic decision: federal judge Alvin Hellerstein set June 1, 2027 as the start date for the oral trial against Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on charges of drug trafficking, narco-terrorism, and possession of weapons.
A physically unrecognizable man
Maduro entered the room dressed in khaki prison uniform, sports shoes, and without handcuffs, wearing glasses and headphones for simultaneous translation.
Journalists and judicial illustrators estimated that the former Venezuelan dictator has lost between 12 and 15 kilos since his arrest.
The Venezuelan cartoonist Jorge Torrealba, who has attended all the hearings to create judicial sketches -the only visual record allowed inside the courtroom- was straightforward:
"Unlike the last time, I saw him quite thin; I saw him gray-haired. And although it lasted only 15 minutes, I saw him face to face."
The journalist Roberto Macedonio, present in the room, provided the most detailed portrait: “Physically deteriorated, thinner, with more pronounced facial features, a more wrinkled neck, much thinner arms, dressed as a prisoner.”
Cilia Flores, 69 years old, also looked slimmer, with her hair tied in a ponytail, wearing glasses and the same khaki uniform.
According to Macedonio, both entered with chains on their feet and "did not exchange a single glance" throughout the entire session.
A behavior radically different from that of January
Beyond the physical appearance, the change in attitude was what drew the most attention.
The contrast with his first appearance on January 5 was striking.
In that hearing, Maduro presented himself as "a prisoner of war" and declared in Spanish: "I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country".
In the second one, held on March 26, he exhibited nervous tics and was stretching in his chair.
In this third appearance, the tone was completely different. Macedonio summarized it: "In the first hearing, he arrived saying, 'I am the legitimate president of Venezuela and I am here under duress.' In this one, he hasn't said a single word to the judge."
Upon entering, he greeted the judge with a «Good morning» that echoed throughout the room. During the session, he took notes, drank water continuously, and frequently smiled at his lawyers.
At the end, he attempted to converse with Barry Pollack and the marshals tried to stop him; the judge himself intervened, saying “Let them speak” on several occasions.
Upon leaving, Maduro raised his hand to greet the attendees in the gallery, mostly composed of Venezuelan lawyers and former political prisoners. He received no response.
The charges and the defense strategy
Maduro, 63 years old, faces four federal charges that carry penalties of up to life imprisonment: conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess those same weapons.
Pollack -who also represented the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange- has until September 2nd to file a motion for head of state immunity.
This strategy faces an obstacle: the United States has not recognized Maduro as president since 2019.
The procedural calendar sets an oral hearing on immunity and jurisdiction for November 17, 2026.
In April, Washington allowed Venezuela to finance the legal defense of Maduro and Flores, which had previously been prohibited by sanctions.
Maduro and Flores remain confined in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn under strict isolation, with cell outings limited to three times a week for one hour.
If the trial is held as scheduled, Maduro will take the stand with 514 days in prison and 64 years of age.
The date of the trial is now confirmed, although the defense keeps open the possibility of requesting extensions.
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