Nikolas Maduro, speaking at a federal court in Manhattan, declared that he considers himself the president of Venezuela and a prisoner of war, stating he is being held in his home in Caracas.
According to Reuters, Maduro declared himself not guilty in the drug trafficking case brought against him in the U.S., and the judge ordered him to appear for the next hearing on March seventeenth.
It is reported that Maduro has enlisted Barry Pollack, known as the long-time lawyer for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, to defend him, and the case is proceeding within the framework of federal criminal proceedings.