U.S. prosecutors have argued that ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro should not be allowed to use Venezuelan government funds to defend himself against drug trafficking charges in the United States. They said Washington has not recognized Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela for years and therefore he should not have access to state resources for his legal battle. The prosecutors stated that an earlier exemption allowing such funding was an administrative error.
Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, had asked U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to dismiss the indictment after the U.S. Treasury Department revoked an exemption to financial sanctions that initially permitted Venezuela to pay his legal expenses. Pollack argued the move interfered with Maduro’s constitutional right to counsel under the Sixth Amendment. He also noted that Venezuelan law and tradition allow the government to cover the expenses of the president and his spouse.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured during a U.S. military raid on their Caracas home on January 3 and later transferred to the United States, where they pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges and are currently held in Brooklyn awaiting trial. Prosecutors say the couple may still use personal funds for their defense, while a court hearing on the dispute over legal fees is scheduled for March 26 in Manhattan.
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