US to let Venezuela pay Maduro’s lawyer in drug trafficking case

The United States has agreed to ease certain sanctions on Venezuela, allowing the Venezuelan government to pay legal fees for former president Nicolas Maduro, AzerNEWS reports, citing Reuters.

This development comes after a hearing held a month earlier, during which prosecutors claimed Maduro had "plundered Venezuela’s wealth and should not be able to use its money for legal fees."

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured by U.S. special forces in Caracas on January 3 and transferred to New York City to face charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy. Both have pleaded not guilty and remain in custody in Brooklyn pending trial.

The issue of legal representation became a central point of contention in the case. Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, argued that U.S. sanctions had prevented the Venezuelan government from covering legal expenses, effectively violating Maduro’s constitutional right to counsel of his choice.

Neither Maduro nor Flores can afford lawyers on their own, and the Venezuelan government is prepared to pay their fees, their lawyers have said.

Image: Matias Delacroix / AP