New York, March 27 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro appeared in a New York court for the second time after being forcibly taken into custody by US troops in a military raid in Caracas in early January.
During his first appearance on January 5, Maduro pleaded not guilty to all US charges against him, including drug trafficking, and told the court that he was "kidnapped" from his residence in Caracas and that he remains the president of Venezuela, according to Xinhua news agency.
On Thursday, Maduro's lawyer continued to pressure the judge to drop the charges and argued that the United States is violating Maduro's constitutional rights by preventing the Venezuelan government from paying for his legal fees.
While questioning the US justification for barring Maduro from using Venezuelan funds to cover his legal defense, the judge denied the dismissal of the case.
On January 3, US military forces launched a large-scale attack against Venezuela and forcibly took Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, before transporting them to New York. The US attacks have shocked the international community, triggering a wave of condemnation and serious concerns worldwide.
The couple has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since their seizure in Caracas.
Protesters gathered outside the courthouse, which was heavily guarded by law enforcement officers, chanting slogans and demanding that Maduro be released immediately.
"We are here today standing in solidarity with Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores," said Jacoe Muldoon, a young protester, to Xinhua. "We believe the charges should be dropped and that they should be released."
Another protester said that the United States had no right to kidnap a leader of another country, adding that the Venezuelan people are united to face the challenges.
In Muldoon's view, the situation in Venezuela and that in Iran are definitely connected as the United States launched aggressions overseas to seize resources globally.
"More and more countries are standing up against the United States as it tries to maintain its hegemony over the world," he said.