Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared in a New York courtroom and pleaded not guilty after U.S. authorities added torture-related charges to a legal case against him. In response to the newly filed counts, Maduro told the judge, "I reject this document entirely."
The appearance marked a notable development in litigation involving Maduro in the United States, where prosecutors have now brought allegations linked to torture. He formally denied the new accusations during the brief hearing in New York.
Maduro is the sitting president of Venezuela. The addition of torture-related counts to the U.S. filing expands the range of allegations he faces in American legal proceedings and underscores the international dimension of the case.
It was not immediately clear how the newly added charges will affect the timetable or next steps in the U.S. courts. Observers say such developments can carry political and diplomatic consequences, though the legal process will determine how the case proceeds.
No further details were released at the hearing about the evidence underlying the new counts, and court documents were not discussed in depth during the session. The matter will move through the U.S. judicial system according to established procedures for criminal prosecutions.