Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores are due in Manhattan federal court over new charges accusing them of conspiring to commit torture
Prosecutors allege the couple helped sustain a system of repression involving the torture of political opponents and American citizens
The new allegations expand an existing case involving narcoterrorism, cocaine-importation conspiracy and weapons offences; both defendants deny wrongdoing
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are due to appear in a federal court in Manhattan on Thursday to face additional US charges, including conspiring to commit torture, in a case that already accuses them of narcoterrorism, cocaine trafficking and weapons offences.
The US Justice Department announced the charges last Thursday after a superseding indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of New York. Maduro and Flores are expected to plead not guilty to the new charges.
What The Indictment Alleges
The revised indictment accuses Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, of participating in a system of repression that allegedly used arbitrary detention, violence and physical and psychological torture to suppress political opposition and keep them in power.
According to US prosecutors, the alleged abuses included electric shocks, asphyxiation, sexual assault, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation and threats against detainees’ families. The indictment alleges that American citizens held in Venezuelan government custody were among those tortured.
Prosecutors further allege that Maduro exercised authority over officials and security agencies involved in the abuses, while Flores helped develop and maintain the system and ordered the torture of particular individuals.
The indictment also accuses the couple of conspiring with other Venezuelan officials and organised criminal groups in drug trafficking operations that allegedly moved cocaine towards the United States. Both defendants face five counts in the superseding indictment, including conspiracy to commit torture, narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine and weapons-related offences.
The allegations have not been proven in court. The Justice Department has said the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Previous Drug Case
The new charges expand a criminal case initially brought against Maduro and Flores over alleged narcotics trafficking and weapons offences. The couple pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges, and their lawyers have argued that the case should be dismissed on immunity grounds because Maduro was the leader of a foreign country and Flores was its first lady.
The torture allegations cover conduct stretching back to Maduro’s rise to the presidency in 2013, when he succeeded Hugo Chávez, according to the indictment.
Maduro and Flores were captured by US forces in a January operation at their home in Caracas and transferred to the United States to face prosecution. Their detention and transfer have formed part of a broader US campaign against the former Venezuelan leadership.
What Happens Next?
Thursday’s appearance is expected to address the additional allegations as the prosecution proceeds. The case could bring evidence concerning alleged abuses of detainees alongside the existing claims of drug trafficking and weapons offences.
US prosecutors say the revised indictment is intended to establish the extent of the alleged criminal activity attributed to Maduro, Flores and other Venezuelan officials. Their defence teams have denied wrongdoing and are expected to contest the charges as the proceedings continue.
