Trending 
Venezuela’s former president, Nicolas Maduro, is expected to appear before a New York court today for his third public hearing since he was captured by the United States forces in January.
Maduro, 63, and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been held in a Brooklyn detention facility since a US military operation removed them from power in Caracas on January 3.
The couple is awaiting trial on charges including drug trafficking, firearms offences and related conspiracies.
Wednesday’s proceedings are expected to focus mainly on procedural matters.
In April, the United States approved Venezuela’s request to fund the couple’s legal defence after an earlier sanctions regime prevented such payments.
Maduro and Flores had sought to have the case dismissed, arguing that the restrictions on funding violated their constitutional right to legal representation of their choice.
Maduro has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to engage in narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
Following his removal, Venezuela has been led by former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, while the United States has assumed control of the country’s oil exports, with proceeds placed in accounts overseen by Washington.
