On Monday, January 5th, Venezuelan former president Nicolás Maduro, who is facing multiple drug trafficking charges, appeared in a federal court in New York. Supporters and protesters from both sides gathered outside the courthouse. On one side, there were Venezuelan or Cuban supporters grateful for the arrest of the dictator, while on the other side, there were professional demonstrators, often seen in anti-Israel protests, wearing Palestinian scarves.
According to reports from various media outlets such as ABC Television and The New York Post, the pro-US Venezuelans were seen holding up signs saying “Thank you President Trump” or displaying images of Maduro’s arrest. On the opposite side, people were holding signs calling for the release of President Maduro. The New York City Police Department kept the two groups of protesters separate.
In court, when the judge confirmed Maduro’s identity, he almost interrupted the judge, hastily stating, “I am not guilty”, “I am the president of Venezuela”, “I have been kidnapped”, “I am a dignified person,” and so on. The judge also interrupted him, saying, “Your lawyer can make motions… Right now, I just want to know one thing: are you Nicolás Maduro Moros?”
The ousted dictator replied, “I am Nicolás Maduro Moros.”
The judge stated, “Mr. Maduro… stands accused of one count of drug terrorism conspiracy, specifically conspiring with others from 1999 to 2025, knowingly and intentionally providing money or something of value to individuals or organizations engaged in terrorism and terrorist activities.”
Maduro said, “I have not committed any of the crimes mentioned here.”
An angry voice from the gallery shouted, “Nonsense!”
A Venezuelan outside the courthouse told the media, “Today we are happy because he will face legal consequences… but we also want to ensure that Venezuela’s history is written by Venezuelans, not by a group of hired activists who support dictators for a living.”
One Cuban yelled at the socialist supporters backing Maduro, saying, “You don’t even know where Venezuela is!” Another one remarked, “80% of you can’t even speak Spanish, you don’t understand what I’m saying.”
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) released a statement in support of Maduro.
Newly elected New York City Mayor Mamdani, who identifies as a “proud DSA member,” issued a statement on Saturday saying he had called President Trump to express his opposition to the government’s targeted military assault to oust and arrest Maduro. Mamdani stated, “Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war, violating federal and international law… Such overt pursuit of regime change not only impacts foreign populations but also directly affects New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans living in New York City.”