New York, Jul 22 (EFE).- The federal judge in charge of the case of the deposed Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, proposed this Wednesday that the trial begin on June 1, 2027, once the immunity request that the defense plans to present is resolved, in a hearing where both defendants looked better than in previous appearances.
The Venezuelan politician appeared thinner, but looking well, in a courtroom on the 23rd floor of the federal courthouse in the Southern District of New York, where the Big Apple ‘skyline’ could be seen in the background, packed with journalists, curious civilians, and legal experts.
Maduro, who keeps his characteristic mustache and slightly graying hair—though better cut than the last time—arrived walking normally and with no trace of the limp he had shown in previous hearings.
Flores also looked better than in the other sessions. She wore the same khaki uniform as her husband, with dyed hair, a ponytail, and glasses.
A Judge Who Once Again Showed Signs of Fatigue
The one who did walk in limping was Judge Alvin Hellerstein, 92 years old, who again showed a fatigued voice and difficulty projecting it, forcing him on more than one occasion to stop to drink water.
These difficulties have reignited doubts among some legal experts about his ability to conduct a process that is expected to be long and of high technical complexity.
Hellerstein, appointed in 1998 as a judge of the Southern District of New York by former U.S. President Bill Clinton (1993-2001), is a specialist in complex, high-profile cases, and has handled proceedings related to organized crime and transnational offenses.
A Trial Contingent on the Immunity Request
In the hearing, which lasted less than 20 minutes, a preliminary schedule for the judicial process of Maduro and Flores was outlined.
Hellerstein proposed that the trial begin on June 1, 2027, following two blocks of motions in which the defense will request immunity for the defendants, according to the proposal presented by the Prosecution hours earlier.
Barry Pollack, Maduro’s lead attorney—who has also represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange—announced that during the first block of motions they will request immunity for the defendants, arguing that he was acting as Head of State and she as First Lady at the time of their arrest.
With that argument, the Venezuelan leader’s legal team proposed that the motions be divided into two since, in their view, if immunity is accepted, he should not be subjected to the second round, in which the Prosecution will present all the evidence from the already concluded investigation.
The judge gave the Prosecution until November 15 to gather all classified evidence and set the start of the defense’s oral arguments for two days later, on November 17.
The parties accepted the tentative date, but Maduro’s lawyers left the door open to request an extension.
“Let Them Speak”
During the hearing, Maduro was seen taking notes and, once the session was adjourned, he conversed with his defense before leaving the court.
As they prepared to remove the defendants from the room, the judge intervened so they would let Maduro speak with Pollack.
“Let them speak,” Hellerstein said several times, allowing them to converse for several minutes.
Once the conversation ended, Maduro stood up to be escorted out and before leaving the room, he waved to the people sitting in the gallery next to his legal team.
Both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty before the judge on January 5, when they were presented before the New York justice system.
Maduro faces charges of conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine importation, while Flores is accused of crimes related to drug importation and weapons possession.
Sarah Yáñez-Richards and Esteban Capdepon Sendra
EN 
ES 
ZH 
FR 
