Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared before federal judge Alvin Hellerstein of the Southern District Court of New York this Thursday, and pleaded not guilty to the new charges of conspiracy to commit torture against American political prisoners brought forth by the U.S. federal prosecution.
Both defendants entered the courtroom with shackles on their ankles and appeared to be in good health, greeting the magistrate in Spanish, reported CNN.
Maduro spoke through an interpreter and described the accusation as "a compilation of previously presented false allegations," rejecting the document in its entirety. Judge Hellerstein interrupted his statement and formally recorded the plea as not guilty.
Flores was more straightforward: "I am completely innocent, I am not guilty," she affirmed before the court.
The new charges, outlined in a 30-page substitute indictment filed on October 8, are in addition to the previous offenses of narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
The accusation identifies nine victims —three of whom are U.S. citizens— and describes a repressive system that allegedly operated for over 25 years, employing methods that include electric shocks, suffocation, beatings, sexual assault, prolonged isolation, deprivation of food, and threats against family members, including minors.
Maduro is said to have given direct instructions during interrogations, ordering "Get more information from them!" and suggesting specific techniques such as "don't let them sleep or throw water on them," laughing after hearing accounts of the abuses.
Flores, in her capacity as former attorney general, is accused of having contributed to the design of the repressive system and of having ordered torture to protect the illegal activities of her family members.
The substitution accusation also charged him with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, which initially only applied to Maduro.
If found guilty on all charges, both would face mandatory minimum sentences totaling 50 years in prison.
The judge accepted a joint request from the Prosecutor's Office and the defense to postpone the start of the trial in order to present preliminary motions. The proceedings have been scheduled for June 14, 2027, while the next hearing is set for December 17, when the defense motions to dismiss the case will be discussed.
Maduro and Flores have been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since their capture on January 3, 2026, during the U.S. military operation known as "Absolute Resolution" in Caracas.
The week before this hearing, Judge Hellerstein had denied the request for house arrest for Flores on medical grounds—her lawyers claimed heart problems and a loss of more than 11 kilograms—determining that there is an "extreme flight risk."
As he left the room, Maduro raised his hand and waved goodbye to the judge with a gesture.
The former Venezuelan political prisoner Demóstenes Quijada described the hearing as "the consolidation of hope for many, for the tens of thousands who have been victims of aggression and torture at the hands of the dictatorship in Venezuela."
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