Maduro appears in New York with immunity as a key battle and possible trial in 2027

New York.- The third hearing in the case against the deposed Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, concluded this Wednesday in a New York federal court after just 18 minutes, in which the judge preliminarily set June 2027 as the start date for the trial, with immunity being one of the defense’s main arguments.

Maduro, 63, appeared before 91-year-old federal judge Alvin Hellerstein, alongside Flores, 69, in a follow-up hearing for the case involving charges of narcoterrorism and drug trafficking.

The Venezuelan leader, who appeared thinner but in good health, maintains his characteristic mustache and arrived walking normally, with no trace of the limp he had shown in previous hearings.

During the 18 minutes the hearing lasted, he repeatedly touched his headphones and followed the session alongside his lawyers.

By his side, Cilia Flores also showed a healthier appearance. She arrived behind him, with a ponytail, glasses, and the same khaki prison jumpsuit as Maduro.

Maduro waved before entering the room and followed the proceedings alongside his lawyers. At the end of the session, he spoke with his defense team before leaving the court.

Before the hearing, the Prosecution and the defense jointly submitted a filing in which they proposed to the magistrate a schedule with two rounds of pre-trial motions and set the start of the process for June 2027, a timeline that the judge accepted today.

The defense plans to file an initial set of motions before the discovery process concludes, including an immunity argument for Maduro as head of state of Venezuela at the time of his arrest.

As stated by Barry Pollack, one of Maduro’s lawyers, if accepted, the president would not have to undergo the second round of motions, in which other evidence will be included.

The Prosecution, for its part, expects to complete the majority of the production of unclassified evidence on September 22 and classified evidence on November 15.

Maduro and Flores have remained detained in a federal prison in Brooklyn since they were captured on January 3rd in Caracas by U.S. forces and transferred to New York.

In their first appearance, on January 5, both pleaded “not guilty” to all charges. At that time, Maduro asserted in Spanish that he was a “decent man” and the “constitutional president” of Venezuela.

In his second appearance, in March, Maduro appeared with greyer hair, in addition to showing a slight limp.

Maduro is accused of conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine importation, while Flores faces charges related to drug importation and weapons possession.

Both could face life imprisonment if found guilty.