Minute30.com .- In a historic and tense hearing, Nicolás Maduro appeared this Monday, January 5, 2026 before the Southern District Court of New York. In front of federal judge Alvin Hellerstein, the Chavista leader would break his silence to reject the charges of narcoterrorism and launch a political proclamation that already resonates throughout the globe: “I am still the president of Venezuela.”

Maduro, dressed in the regulation detainee uniform, surprised the room by declaring himself a “prisoner of war” and denouncing that his detention was a kidnapping: “They captured me in my house in Caracas,” he declared before the stand.

Next March 17 will be Maduro’s new appearance before the judge.

The defense: In the style of Julian Assange

To face the process where he could be sentenced to life imprisonment, Maduro has moved a key piece in his legal strategy: he hired one of the lawyers who was part of Julian Assange’s defense team. With this, he seeks to turn the criminal case for drug trafficking into a battle over sovereignty and human rights.

The charges confirmed by the Prosecutor’s Office:

Leadership of the Cartel of the Suns.

Conspiracy to traffic cocaine to the US.

Possession of weapons for exclusive use and destructive devices.

The world reacts to the power vacuum

While Maduro defended himself in Manhattan, the international board moved quickly:

In Caracas, Delcy Rodríguez is ready to be sworn in as acting president of the National Assembly to try to give continuity to the regime and her brother Jorge is sworn in as President of the National Assembly.

A financial blow is also known; Switzerland announced today the immediate freezing of all assets and accounts linked to Nicolás Maduro and his close circle.

Read also: You already have the prisoner’s overalls! First images of Maduro arriving at the court highly handcuffed

What’s next in the process?

Judge Hellerstein did not grant bail, considering the high risk of flight and the seriousness of the crimes. Maduro will return to his cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, while his defense prepares the first motions to try to dismiss the charges alleging presidential immunity.

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