I Was at Nicolás Maduro’s Arraignment–Here’s What I Saw

Maduro maintained a defiant demeanor but appeared to be in a much more vulnerable state than just days before his hearing.

Law enforcement officers in front of the Federal District Court in Lower Manhattan where Venezuela leader Nicolás Maduro is expected to appear before a federal judge in New York City on Jan. 4, 2026. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

NEW YORK CITY—What a difference 72 hours makes.

On Friday, Jan. 2, Nicolás Maduro was head of Venezuela’s socialist regime, ruling over more than 30 million people and controlling vast amounts of the world’s oil reserves.