The deposed Venezuelan president and his wife appeared in a Manhattan courtroom as rival protests took place outside
T
he deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro had a smile on his face as he walked into a Manhattan court with shackles around his ankles and affably shook hands with attorneys at the defense table.
But though he appeared at ease on Thursday, Maduro, who was captured in Caracas by US special forces on 3 January, faces a “narco-terrorism” indictment that could land him in federal prison for life.
Cilia Flores, Maduro’s wife, who is charged alongside him, was also present at the defense table and both wore khaki jail scrubs. The former strongman had also slimmed down since his last court appearance. Maduro had a neon T-shirt underneath his prison garb and Flores a grey long-sleeve shirt; they both had black-framed glasses. She wore hers throughout the proceeding while he seemed to treat his as readers.
