PNN – According to American media reports, the Venezuelan president has filed a legal action with a New York City court to drop the indictment against him.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, the Associated Press reported that the lawyer for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has asked a federal judge in New York to drop the indictment against his client. Maduro’s lawyer has argued that the US government has violated his constitutional rights to defend himself by blocking access to Venezuelan state funds to pay for legal fees.
Barry Pollack, the lawyer defending Maduro, who was kidnapped by US special forces during the January 3 invasion of Venezuela and transferred to the United States, wrote in a post on social media: As the head of the Venezuelan government, Maduro has the right and expectation to cover the legal costs of defending himself against the charges with the interests of the Venezuelan government.
According to a document submitted by Pollack to the court, Maduro stated in a statement: I am entitled, according to Venezuelan laws and procedures, to have the Venezuelan government pay for my legal defense, he added, adding that he is unable to personally cover these costs. The statement was signed by “President Nicolás Maduro Moros.”
Maduro and his wife have both been in custody since they were kidnapped by American forces and transferred to the United States. They have denied the charges against them during their trial in the United States.
In a 25-page indictment against Venezuelan President Maduro, US judicial authorities have accused him and several others of collaborating with drug trafficking cartels and accused members of the Venezuelan military of facilitating the transportation of thousands of tons of cocaine to US soil.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has authorized legal fees for Venezuelan First Lady Cilia Flores, but has revoked them for Maduro, according to Pollack. The lawyer stressed that this behavior not only undermines Maduro’s rights, but also undermines this court’s mission to provide a fair trial.
In a letter to the judge in the case, Pollack warned that if the judge allows the charges against Maduro to remain and the funding issue is not resolved, he will be forced to resign so the court can appoint another lawyer to defend him.