In a historic hearing that has sent shockwaves through the international community, the deposed leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, stood before a Manhattan judge on Monday afternoon and firmly declared his innocence. 'I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country,' Maduro told Judge Alvin Hellerstein, according to reports from NBC News' Rebecca Cohen.
The courtroom scene was a far cry from the corridors of power in Caracas. Seated with shackled ankles and wearing translation headphones, Maduro appeared as a 'captured' leader rather than a head of state. Alongside him, his wife and former 'First Combatant', Cilia Flores, also entered a plea of not guilty to a sweeping four-count federal indictment that alleges the couple transformed Venezuela into a global hub for narco-terrorism.
