'I'm a prisoner of war' - In the room for Maduro's dramatic court hearing

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete January 5, 2026 at 08:35 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to drug and weapon charges in a New York City courtroom on Monday. Maduro, who claims he was kidnapped from his home in Caracas on January 3rd, declared himself a "prisoner of war" during the arraignment. The couple was arrested by US forces in Venezuela on Saturday in a surprise operation involving strikes on military bases. Dressed in jail attire, Maduro and Flores listened to the proceedings through Spanish translation headphones. The 40-minute hearing was held in the same courtroom where Sean "Diddy" Combs was previously tried.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Fuerte Tiuna 30% Sean "Diddy" Combs 35% Maibort Petit 40% Alvin Hellerstein 60% Caracas ×265% New York City 70% Cilia Flores ×375% United States ×280% Venezuela ×485% Nicolás Maduro (Maduro) ×1195%

Keywords

nicolás maduro 100% court hearing 90% prisoner of war 80% arrest 70% venezuela 70% weapon charges 60% drug charges 60% kidnapped 50% cilia flores 50% us forces 40%