On Thursday morning local time, Venezuelan President Maduro, who was forcibly taken into custody by the United States, appeared once again at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and his request for the case to be dismissed was rejected by the judge.
Maduro's defense attorney pointed out in court that due to U.S. government sanctions against the Venezuelan government, the Venezuelan government is unable to pay the required legal fees, and that the Maduro couple cannot afford the defense expenses on their own. The attorney argued that this violates relevant provisions of the U.S. Constitution involving individual rights, and therefore asked for the prosecution's charges to be dismissed. However, this request was denied by the judge.
That morning, some of Maduro's supporters gathered outside the courthouse, chanting slogans demanding Maduro's release and opposing U.S. government military intervention in Venezuela.
On January 3, the United States launched a large-scale attack against Venezuela, forcibly detaining Maduro and his wife and bringing them to the United States. On January 5, the Maduro couple made their first appearance at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, rejecting the so-called "criminal" charges by the United States. The international community has widely condemned the U.S. for seriously violating Venezuela’s sovereignty and threatening peace and stability in the Latin American region.