Maduro and wife plead not guilty to US torture charges

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have pleaded not guilty to a new US indictment accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents.

The additional charges brought last Thursday significantly expanded the US criminal case against Mr Maduro, 63, and Ms Flores, 70.

They previously pleaded not guilty to charges that they abused their power to help drug traffickers ship cocaine.

The pair were captured by the US military in a raid ordered by President Donald Trump in January and flown to New York.

They wore prison uniforms and were shackled at the ankles as they entered their pleas during an arraignment at a Manhattan federal court.

Mr Maduro said the accusations ‌made against him were false.

"I ⁠have seen it in its entirety, Judge Hellerstein", Maduro said, referring to the indictment. "I reject this document in its entirety".

The judge cut Mr Maduro off as he spoke and said a plea of not guilty would be entered on his behalf.

Ms Flores said, "I am completely innocent. I am not guilty".

The pair are not accused of personally carrying out any acts of torture.

They would each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 50 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

The judge postponed ‌the trial start date by two weeks to 14 June 2027, due to the new charges.

'Squeeze them harder'

Prosecutors with the Manhattan US Attorney's office say Mr Maduro directed Venezuelan officials to torture opposition politicians and military personnel ⁠accused of plotting against him to maintain power in the South American country.

In one alleged incident described in the indictment, Mr Maduro in 2014 ‌directed officials to kidnap military personnel to draw information out of them about possible dissidents, and told officials ⁠to "squeeze them harder" when ‌some remained defiant.

Ms Flores agreed with the plan and dismissed a suggested alternative plan to obtain information by infiltrating the ranks, according to the indictment.

Relations between Mr Maduro, a socialist, and the United States were tense during his 13 years in power leading the oil-rich country.

Successive US administrations imposed sanctions on top Venezuelan officials and key state ⁠companies, citing alleged human rights violations, corruption and election-rigging.

Mr Maduro accused the United States of seeking his removal to gain greater control of the South American country's ⁠natural resources.

The campaign culminated in a raid on 3 January, when the US military captured the pair at their Caracas home and brought them to the United States to face drug trafficking charges announced that same day.

Since then, they have been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

Mr Maduro's former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has led Venezuela since his capture and has ramped up cooperation with the United States.

President Trump has touted Mr Maduro's capture and improved relations with Venezuela as a key foreign policy success heading into the November ‌midterm elections in which his fellow Republicans are fighting to retain control of Congress.