US Judge Sets Trial Date for Nicolas Maduro

Latin America Correspondent Jon Bonfiglio speaks to Carol Walker on Times Radio about the latest news regarding Nicolas Maduro’s trial in the United States. 

Transcript

Carole Walker 0:00

Now, a date has been set for one of the most consequential criminal cases in American history. The former Venezuelan president, Nicola Maduro, will face his drug trafficking charges on the 1st of June 2027 in a New York courtroom. Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, were seized from their compound by US forces on the 3rd of January and brought to the United States. Well, I'm joined now by John Bonfilio, Latin America correspondent. Good evening to you, John. Hey, Carol. Um, well, I mean, this is going to be an extraordinary case, isn't it?

Jon Bonfiglio 0:35

It really is. I mean, it's and then, you know, it's been slated to begin on the 1st of June 2027, but there's still um some uh backwards and forwards to go on this. His lawyers, Nicholas Maduro's uh lawyers, for example, have filed motions to dismiss the indictment, arguing both for presidential immunity for Nicholas Maduro as well as contesting the legality of the raid, which seized him and his uh wife. And those motions are going to be heard in November. Of course, the the key component of the US government position is that the raid was a surgical law enforcement operation, is what they've been saying. So they're insistent that this is a criminal case, whereas, of course, the trial does hinge on issues of jurisdiction and national uh sovereignty. Maduro's lawyers argue um straightforwardly that this was a military abduction.

Carole Walker 1:21

Yeah, and of course, it it was that extraordinary and very daring raid by US forces um to seize Nicola Maduro, and uh his former deputy has been left in power there. Um, but tell us more about what we can expect. So the case is about drug trafficking, that's what the US authorities have always said. But clearly, Nicolas Maduro will say, Well, look, you didn't have the power to seize me there from Venezuela.

Jon Bonfiglio 1:47

Yeah, that is exactly Nicolas Maduro's position. There are various charges. I mean, um uh yes, conspiracy to import cocaine is uh is among those, and of course, uh Maduro and City Florida could face life in prison if they are if they are um found guilty. But also in amongst the charges is narco-terrorism. So is this notion that there was a sort of a deliberate campaign of destabilization of the United States uh using uh drugs, a sort of flow of drugs into uh into the country, which constitutes a sort of a form of um of terrorism. What you say about Delcy Rodriguez, I think is really interesting because what if if today told us anything is that how uh the stark contrast in the treatment of um the holding of Maduro to account and the velvet gloves being used, meanwhile, uh in in Venezuela of his successor, interim president in Versailles, Delcy Rodriguez.

Carole Walker 2:41

Uh yeah, and uh part of the reason um it seems that President Trump um wanted to keep her there was because she said she was happy to cooperate with the US when it comes to um Venezuela's oil revenues, which has been a massive issue, hasn't it, for the United States?

Jon Bonfiglio 2:58

It hasn't. And look, I've been looking at the numbers uh just in the last couple of days, and um, this US administration has now collected more than $13 billion in revenue from Venezuelan oil sales this year, but evidence of reinvestment uh of these funds in Venezuela is scant, and a number of economists are pointing to a potential sign that those profits are not being sent back to Caracas at all.

Carole Walker 3:21

Uh yeah, there's a story about that also on the front page of uh the Financial Times tonight. Just very briefly, John, um uh what uh is the state of the efforts to um carry out reparations uh after the devastating earthquake?

Jon Bonfiglio 3:36

I mean, still very slow, a lot of anger towards the um the the the sort of the sitting, the the transitional government, if you like, of of Tel City Rodriguez. We we've now had more than five thousand um confirmed dead and the injured in the in the tens of thousands.

Carole Walker 3:51

John Bonfilio, uh Latin America correspondent. Um great to speak to you tonight. Thank you so much for joining us. No problem, okay.