Venezuela’s Maduro tells US court ‘I am still president’ as he pleads not guilty to drugs charges

VENEZUELA’S Nicolás Maduro says “I am still president” as he pleads not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in his first appearance at a New York court.

Outside the court, protesters are gathering, chanting and holding Venezuelan flags and signs.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized from their Caracas compound on Saturday and flown to the US as part of a special forces operation.

Earlier, dramatic images showed the pair being transferred to the courthouse in handcuffs, surrounded by armed officers.

At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern that the rules of international law may not have been respected regarding the US’s actions in Venezuela.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s new leader, Delcy Rodríguez, is due to be sworn in before the country’s National Assembly.

—BBC

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The post Venezuela’s Maduro tells US court ‘I am still president’ as he pleads not guilty to drugs charges appeared first on Ghanaian Times.

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