By Odry Farnetano on March 26, 2026
hundreds of supporters outside of the court house chanted for Maduro and Cilia’s freedom. foto: afp
The judge promises to issue a decision soon on whether or not to order the Trump administration to allow Venezuela to pay court costs.
After 83 days, the second hearing began in a federal court in New York in the case against President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, both kidnapped in Caracas and accused by the US Justice Department of drug trafficking-related charges, began this Thursday.
According to US media reports, Maduro and Flores sat next to their defense team and wore headphones to listen to the translation of what was being discussed during the hearing.
The judge in charge of the case, Alvin Hellerstein, entered the courtroom about 45 minutes late, as the hearing was scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Maduro and Flores arrived at the courthouse early this morning, around 4:00 a.m. local time (8:00 GMT), in a convoy of three closed, windowless vans.
One of Maduro and Flores’ lawyers, Barry Pollack, told the magistrate that his clients cannot afford their defense themselves and stated that they “have every right to use” Venezuelan government funds, according to media present in the courtroom during the 40-minute hearing.
The issue of whether or not to use Venezuelan funds to pay the lawyer was the focus of the prosecutor’s argument and the judge’s questions, who, due to his constant replies, did not seem convinced to prohibit the use of Venezuelan state resources, but therefore we will have to wait for his decision in the coming days.
Source: Ultimas Noticias, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English