Maduro's lawyer says U.S. blocking Venezuelan government from paying his legal fees
#Maduro legal fees #Venezuela U.S. relations #Trump administration Venezuela #Nicolas Maduro drug charges #U.S. sanctions Venezuela #Constitutional right to counsel #Venezuela acting president Delcy Rodríguez
📌 Key Takeaways
- U.S. blocking Venezuela from paying Maduro's legal defense fees
- Maduro and his wife have been jailed without bail since January 2026
- The fee payment dispute is linked to U.S. foreign policy toward Venezuela
- Maduro's capture has paved the way for significant policy changes in Venezuela
📖 Full Retelling
Former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro's lawyer Barry Pollack informed a Manhattan federal judge on February 20, 2026, that the Trump administration is blocking Venezuela's government from paying for the cost of Maduro's defense against drug trafficking charges in New York, a move that potentially interferes with his constitutional right to counsel. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have been jailed without bail since their January 3, 2026 capture in a U.S. military raid from their Venezuelan home, with both pleading not guilty to charges that carry potential life sentences. Pollack revealed that the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control initially granted permission on January 9 for the Venezuelan government to pay legal fees, but revoked this authorization 'without explanation' just three hours later, while leaving in place a license allowing payment for Flores's lawyers. The dispute comes as Maduro faces a 25-page indictment accusing him of working with drug cartels and military officials to facilitate cocaine shipments into the U.S., including allegedly ordering kidnappings, beatings, and murders of those who owed drug money. The blocking of legal fees is deeply connected to U.S. foreign policy, with both the Trump and Biden administrations having refused to recognize Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate leader since 2019, instead recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó and now supporting acting president Delcy Rodríguez.
🏷️ Themes
Legal Rights, International Relations, Foreign Policy
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Original Source
Politics Maduro's lawyer says U.S. blocking Venezuelan government from paying ousted leader's legal fees Updated on: February 25, 2026 / 10:28 PM EST / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google The Trump administration is blocking Venezuela's government from paying for the cost of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro's defense against drug trafficking charges in New York, a move that potentially interferes with his constitutional right to counsel, his lawyer says. Attorney Barry Pollack told a Manhattan federal judge in an email dated Feb. 20 that the U.S. Treasury Department had blocked the authorization of legal fees that the government of Venezuela is required to pay for Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores under its law and custom. The email was entered into the public court record on Wednesday. Maduro and his wife have been jailed in New York without bail since they were seized from their Venezuelan home Jan. 3 in a stealth nighttime raid by U.S. military forces. They have both pleaded not guilty . Maduro is scheduled to return to federal court for a hearing on March 17. In the email, Pollack said that the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which administers sanctions against Venezuela, had granted permission on Jan. 9 approving the payment of legal fees by the Venezuelan government. Less than three hours later, though, the Trump administration snatched back the authorization "without explanation," though it left in place a license granting permission for Maduro's wife's lawyers to be paid, Pollack said. The dispute over Maduro's legal fees is intimately linked to U.S. foreign policy. The first Trump administration cut ties with Maduro in 2019, recognizing the then-opposition head of the National Assembly as Venezuela's legitimate leader. The Biden administration hewed closely to the same policy. Messages seeking comment from the Treasury Department, White House and the Justice Department were not immediately returned. Allowing the government of Ma...
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