The story so far
- Maduro Set to Face New US Torture Allegations in Court6 sources
- Maduro Pleads Not Guilty to New US Torture ChargesYou are hereLatest
Updated 10m ago · Politics
Maduro Pleads Not Guilty to New US Torture Charges
Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty Thursday to US charges of conspiring to torture opponents. Maduro told the court the indictment contained false accusations and false testimony.
- 50-year mandatory minimum sentences apply to each if convicted on all charges.
- Judge Alvin Hellerstein entered Maduro's plea after he twice criticized the indictment.
- Prosecutors do not accuse the couple of personally carrying out torture.
- Flores told the court through an interpreter she is completely innocent.
Why it matters: The new indictment alleges Maduro oversaw a system of beatings, asphyxiation and electric shocks against opponents and military personnel. Prosecutors say victims included three Americans.
- Prosecutors allege Maduro told officials in 2014 to "squeeze them harder."
- US torture prosecutions of foreign officials have happened only a few times.
How 20 sources split on this story
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20 sources · 22 articles · 35% Center coverage
Where they split: Outlets differ on how to describe the January US military operation that brought Maduro to New York, with Al Jazeera calling it an abduction and others calling it a capture.
Center7 sources
Associated Press6hEx-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says new torture allegations are ‘false’BBC News6hMaduro pleads not guilty to additional charges in New YorkBloomberg7hMaduro Says New US Torture Allegations Are ‘False Accusations’CTV News6hEx-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro says new torture allegations are ‘false’Deutsche Welle4hVenezuela's Nicolas Maduro pleads not guilty to torture indictmentFrance 245hVenezuela's Nicolas Maduro and wife Cilia Flores deny US torture charges as 'false accusations'Jerusalem Post4hMaduro and wife deny new US torture conspiracy charges, face at least 50 years if convicted
Left coverage, 6 sources: The left centers Maduro's courtroom denial and the legal questions raised by a rare US prosecution of a foreign leader seized abroad.
The Guardian6hNicolás Maduro tells New York court new torture allegations are ‘false’Al Jazeera7hVenezuela’s Maduro pleads not guilty to US conspiracy to torture chargesABC News6hVenezuela's Nicolas Maduro pleads not guilty to tortureLos Angeles Times6hEx-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says new torture allegations are 'false'Politico6hMaduro pleads not guilty on torture chargeThe Independent7hVenezuela's Nicolas Maduro and his wife appear in court on new torture charges
Right coverage, 7 sources: The right emphasizes the expanded charges and the decades-long prison terms the couple face if convicted.
Just the News23hMaduro pleads not guilty to torturing VenezuelansThe Epoch Times23hMaduro Pleads Not Guilty to New Torture ChargeDaily Mail6hDefiant Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro rails against torture charges and denies claims Americans were asphyxiated and given electric shocks to the genitals...leading judge to stop him speakingNew York Post6hJudge cuts off ex-Venezuela dictator Nicolás Maduro’s rambling NYC court speech rejecting new torture rapNewsmax7hVenezuela's Nicolas Maduro: Torture Allegations FalseOne America News10hMaduro and his wife plead not guilty to new charges of torture in N.Y. courtWashington Examiner5hMaduro pleads not guilty to torture charges
What’s next: Trial is set for June 1, 2027. Prosecutors said both sides want it moved to June 14.
- Defense lawyers argue the case should be dismissed on head-of-state immunity grounds.
- Will the court accept the defense's immunity argument for a former head of state?
- How will prosecutors link the couple to specific acts they did not personally commit?
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