Just minutes after his first appearance in federal court, the Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro stood before the judge and declared: “I was captured in my home, in Caracas, Venezuela”.
The statement anticipates what must be one of the main lines of defense: that his arrest during the early hours of the morning by law enforcement agents — a “military abduction,” in the words of his lawyer — violated the law.
This is not the first time a defendant has made this argument. More than three decades ago, former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega accused the US of violating international law and due process guarantees by invading Panama and imprisoning him abroad.
But this argument was unsuccessful, as the courts refused to consider the legality of the invasion of Panama and focused only on the accusations contained in the complaint against Noriega. It remains to be seen whether the courts will reconsider this precedent in Maduro’s case.
It is unusual for a criminal defendant to say anything to the judge during an initial hearing, as defense attorneys often warn their clients that anything they say could be used against them in the process.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein issued a similar warning this Monday (4) while the Venezuelan president spoke.
“There will be a time and a place to address all of this,” the judge said.
