US court sets June 2027 trial for Venezuelan President amid protests

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores will go on trial starting on June 1, 2027, a U.S. judge ruled on Wednesday, reported Xinhua.

The couple, who pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and firearms charges, made their third appearance in a New York court after being forcibly seized by U.S. troops in a military raid in early January.

During Wednesday's 15-minute hearing, Judge Alvin Hellerstein set the trial date at the request of lawyers on both sides.

Maduro's lawyer, Barry Pollack, said he will first challenge the indictment on sovereign immunity grounds because if that is successful, Maduro will not have to continue litigating the case.

On Jan. 3, U.S. military forces launched a large-scale strike against Venezuela and forcibly seized Maduro and his wife before transporting them to New York. The U.S. attacks have shocked the international community, triggering a stream of condemnation and serious concerns worldwide.

During his first arraignment on Jan. 5, Maduro pleaded not guilty to all U.S. charges against him, including drug trafficking.

The couple has been jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since their seizure in Caracas.

Protesters gathered Wednesday outside the heavily guarded Manhattan courthouse, demanding the immediate release of Maduro and opposing any form of U.S. military intervention abroad.

Allison Gunderson, a demonstrator from Minneapolis, told Xinhua that the United States is prosecuting the president of a sovereign nation after an illegal kidnapping.

"It is unjust and criminal," Gunderson said.

Tom Burke, a member of the Anti-War Action Network's steering committee, believes that the abduction, the detention and the trial of the Venezuelan president are against international law. "We're gonna oppose it every step of the way," he said.

"The United States is basically doing an armed robbery," Burke said. "The rest of the world is watching, and people don't trust the U.S. government now."

Sara Flounders, a U.S. political writer, highlighted that Wednesday marked the 200th day since Maduro was kidnapped.

"We don't forget these days. We don't forget their crimes. We stand up to every single one of them, and we build solidarity with every one of these struggles," said Flounders, referring to U.S. overseas operations in Venezuela, Iran and Cuba.