🔶 Nicholas Maduro’s trial in the United States will begin in June 2027

Alvin Hellerstein, a judge of a court in New York, set June 1, 2027 as the start date for the trial of Nicolás Maduro, the former president of Venezuela, and his wife Cilia Flores. The two are being tried in court on charges of “drug trafficking.” A hearing is also scheduled for November 17 of this year to review requests by the defense lawyers, including objections to the legality of their arrest and transfer to the United States.

According to Reuters, U.S. prosecutors have accused Maduro of using the power of Venezuela’s government to support and facilitate drug trafficking and of collaborating with drug cartels to transfer large quantities of cocaine to the United States. If convicted, Maduro and his wife Flores could face life imprisonment.

Maduro attended his first appearance in New York court alongside his lawyers and his wife, but during a 15-minute court session he did not say anything. As he left the courtroom, he waved his hand for someone in the spectators’ gallery. Brian Pollack, Maduro’s attorney, told the judge that all parties to the case agree with the established timeline, and that the defense team intends to challenge the indictment by invoking the principle of “sovereign immunity.”

Maduro has rejected the allegations and called his detention a “kidnapping,” and described himself as a “prisoner of war.”