Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, are expected to appear in Manhattan federal court on Thursday to face newly filed criminal charges accusing them of participating in a years-long campaign of torture of Venezuelan political opponents, military personnel and others.
Maduro and Flores are scheduled to be arraigned before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein at 11 a.m. Thursday in Courtroom 26A of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in lower Manhattan, according to court orders issued Wednesday. The hearing follows a superseding indictment unsealed last week that added charges against both defendants of conspiring to commit torture.
Prosecutors accuse Maduro and Flores of overseeing a government-sponsored system of repression that included beatings, suffocation, electric shocks and psychological abuse against opponents of the Venezuelan government. The indictment alleges that Maduro approved torture methods, received reports about specific detainees and made physical threats against inmates’ families. Venezuela’s former attorney general, Flores, is accused of helping develop the system and targeting specific individuals for abuse.
The new charges add to an existing U.S. drug trafficking case against the couple. Maduro and Flores have previously pleaded not guilty in the case, which accuses them of participating in a conspiracy to ship large quantities of cocaine into the United States. Their lawyers sought to have the charges dismissed, arguing they were entitled to immunity based on their status as foreign heads of state and first ladies.
The updated indictment outlines alleged torture since Maduro came to power in 2013 following the death of Hugo Chavez. Prosecutors say Venezuelan security forces targeted military officers, opposition leaders and others who posed a threat to Maduro’s rule during years of political turmoil and economic turmoil.
Read the full torture indictment below
Several U.S. citizens were among the alleged victims. An American was given electric shocks and forced to swallow his own vomit while detained in Venezuela, prosecutors say. Other alleged victims suffered severe beatings, prolonged abuse and permanent injuries, the indictment states.
Federal prosecutors have described the charges as evidence of a state-sponsored campaign of repression. The case is expected to rely in part on information provided by Venezuela’s former intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges after being extradited from Spain to New York and has since been cooperating with U.S. authorities.
Thursday’s court appearance comes a week after Hellerstein denied Flores’ request to stay home due to health concerns. Defense attorneys argued that Flores, 69, developed serious health problems while being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, including possible heart problems. Prosecutors opposed the request, arguing she posed a significant flight risk. The judge agreed and ordered her to remain in custody.
Court officials said Thursday’s proceedings will be open only to the public and members of the media. Courtroom seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, with overflow rooms available if capacity is reached. Electronic devices are not allowed in the courtroom.
The arraignment is expected to formally address new torture-related charges and set the stage for the next phase of one of the highest-profile international criminal cases currently before a U.S. court.