Maduro Is Innocent of Venezuela's Alleged U.S.-Backed Plot to Torture

Maduro and Wife Appear in New York Court Over New 'Conspiracy to Commit Torture' Charges

Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Killia Flores, have been acquitted of new charges of "conspiracy to commit torture" that were unsealed last week.

Maduro and Flores appeared in court in New York on Thursday after they were kidnapped from Caracas in a US military operation in January.

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The end of the list The couple had previously pleaded not guilty to several other charges, including drug terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.

Maduro spoke briefly at his January court appearance days after the US military abduction.

Maduro then said: "I am innocent. I have no guilt. I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country."

U.S. Attorney Jamie MacDonald said last week that the couple "engaged in a conspiracy to commit torture, including torture of United States citizens, in addition to the drug and weapons trafficking offenses for which they were previously charged" for more than two decades.

The new indictment states that Maduro and Flores used a system of torture, arbitrary detention and violence as a means of targeting "people perceived to be loyal or a threat to their illegal drugs." activity" as well as "a means of suppressing political opposition".

The report cites several instances in which Maduro and Flores are alleged to have specifically identified individuals to be targeted, requested updates on torture or proposed techniques.

In one case in 2014, Maduro asked his enforcers to do more to extract information from detained military personnel, according to the indictment.

"Squeeze them tighter," he apparently said. In another case, Maduro has been accused of offering sleep deprivation and pouring water on prisoners.

The indictment states that abuses carried out under Maduro's regime include beatings, electrocution and threats to family members of detainees. US prosecutors did not charge Maduro or Flores with direct involvement in the torture.

Maduro became president of Venezuela in 2013 and his re-election, the last time in 2024, has been repeatedly contested by the opposition and foreign observers.

Interim President Delsey Rodriguez, Maduro's deputy, has led the country since Maduro's abduction in January.

He had initially condemned the US action as "unlawful and illegitimate kidnapping".

However, he has since remained close to the Trump administration, including overseeing efforts to open the country's state oil industry to foreign companies.