The deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty to drugs, weapons and “narco-terrorism” charges on Monday, two days after his capture by US special forces in an operation ordered by Donald Trump that sent shock waves around the world.
The brevity and formality of the arraignment hearing in federal court in Manhattan – barely 30 minutes during which Maduro was asked to confirm his name and that he understood the four charges against him – belied the far-reaching consequences of the US action.
