President Maduro with his wife, Cilia Flores, photographed in 2018. Photo: AP/Ariana Cubillos.
On Monday, the United States government requested a postponement of the next hearing in the criminal case against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Representative Cilia Flores, citing logistical reasons and the exchange of evidence.
In a letter addressed to Judge Alvin Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York, US federal prosecutor Jay Clayton requested that the hearing, originally scheduled for March 17, be moved to March 26, EFE reported.
The request, which has the consent of the defense of both defendants, allegedly seeks to avoid “schedule conflicts and logistical problems.”
According to the legal document, this additional time is necessary for the prosecution to “produce discovery” and for the defense to have an opportunity to review the evidence and decide what pretrial motions to file.
Under the pretext of fighting narcoterrorism, the US launched a military assault on Venezuela on January 3, targeting Caracas and locations in the Venezuelan states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. The operation culminated with the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Congresswoman Cilia Flores, who were taken to New York against their will. According to experts in the field, all aspects of the operation constituted flagrant violations of international law.
The targets were mainly of military interest, although numerous citizens’ houses were destroyed, and civilians were killed. The military targets included air defense equipment and communications systems.
