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Summary
Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro says, “I am still president,” as he pleads not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in his first appearance at a New York court
He and his wife Cilia Flores were seized from their Caracas compound on Saturday and flown to the US as part of a special forces operation – here’s what happened
Today’s hearing ended with a tense exchange between a member of the public and Maduro, who said he was a “prisoner of war”, our reporter in court says
Outside, protesters have been gathering, with some brandishing placards – one reads “USA Hands-off Venezuela”, while another says “Thank You President Trump.”
Earlier, dramatic images showed the pair being transferred to the courthouse in handcuffs, surrounded by armed officers
Meanwhile, Delcy Rodríguez, while being sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president, has praised Maduro and his wife as “heroes”. You can read BBC Mundo’s live Spanish coverage here.
At the rainy border between Colombia and Venezuela, I’ve been speaking to more Venezuelans about their feelings about what’s happening.
Glendys Quiroz, 28, tells me she crosses the border regularly to pick up groceries, noting that it feels quieter than usual today.
“We know Maduro has been captured, but we don’t know what’s going on or what’s going to happen,” she says.
She says she supports the US action and wants Maduro and his government to “pay for [what] they’ve done”, adding that there is a “long list of people” who should also face action.
She adds that she wants opposition leader María Corina Machado to run the country.
With no cameras allowed inside the New York courthouse, we rely on artists to give us a glimpse inside.
Jane Rosenberg’s drawing shows Nicolás Maduro standing, while his wife Cilia Flores sits nearby.
They both wear headphones to listen to a translation of proceedings, and both wear the same blue prison outfits.
We’ve been hearing from people in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, about what life is like there since the US action and what they want for the country.
A 33-year-old masseuse who asks not to be named says she is still waiting at home today to see how things develop. “There’s so much fear in the streets and in our homes,” she says.
She does not support Venezuela’s new leader, Delcy Rodríguez, but says “if this is the price we have to pay for a government transition, then I accept it”.
“If it wasn’t this way, then we could have a rebellion, and we can’t forget the armed groups,” she adds.
She says she hopes there will be lasting change for Venezuela. “They gave the people the scraps while keeping the feast for themselves,” she says of Maduro’s regime.
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Venezuela’s seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores attend their arraignment with defense lawyers Barry Pollack and Mark Donnelly
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