Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are facing a New York court after being charged with narco-terrorism and weapons offences
This is the former president of Venezuela and his wife’s first time back in court since they pleaded not guilty in January, with Nicolas Maduro telling the judge he had been kidnapped.
At 11:00 ET (15:00 GMT) the defence and prosecution are expected to argue about the evidence and the scheduling of the case, and a trial date could be set.
Already, various court filings have highlighted the legal complexities of this case.
The defence says the Trump administration is blocking the Venezuelan government from covering Maduro’s legal expenses - in violation of his constitutional rights.
His lawyers want the court to intervene - either by dismissing the case altogether or by holding an evidentiary hearing.
And prosecutors want to prohibit the defence from sharing evidence with the other named defendants in the case who haven’t been apprehended - including the Maduros’ son and a sitting Venezuelan minister.
They argue without a protective order in place, witnesses could be harmed and evidence destroyed.
Will bring you the latest developments from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan as they happen.
Nicolás Maduro rose to prominence under the leadership of left-wing President Hugo Chávez and his United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).
Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader, succeeded Chávez and was president from 2013 until he was seized by US forces on 3 January 2026.
During the 26 years that Chávez and Maduro were in power, their party gained control of key institutions including the National Assembly, much of the judiciary, and the electoral council.
In 2024, Maduro was declared winner of the presidential election, even though voting tallies collected by the opposition suggested that its candidate, Edmundo González, had won by a landslide.
González had replaced the main opposition leader, María Corina Machado, on the ballot after she was barred from running for office.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October for "her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy".
Machado defied a travel ban and made her way to Oslo in December to collect the award after months in hiding.
She has been outside of Venezuela since but has vowed to return "soon".
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