WASHINGTON – An attorney representing former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has asked a U.S. court to dismiss the federal criminal charges against him, arguing that Maduro remains Venezuela’s head of state and is therefore entitled to immunity from prosecution in the United States.
The request puts the question of Maduro’s claimed presidential status at the center of the legal dispute. His defense maintains that because he continues to be Venezuela’s head of state, U.S. courts cannot subject him to criminal proceedings.
The claim, however, represents the legal position advanced by Maduro’s attorneys and has not been accepted by the court. It will now be up to the judge to determine whether the immunity argument provides grounds to dismiss the case or whether the prosecution can proceed.
Maduro faces U.S. federal charges related to narcoterrorism, cocaine trafficking and firearms offenses.
The U.S. indictment takes a fundamentally different position from the defense regarding Maduro’s status. American prosecutors describe him as Venezuela’s former president and later de facto ruler whose legitimacy was not recognized by Washington.
That disagreement could become an important part of the legal battle, as Maduro’s attorneys seek to establish that his claimed position as head of state shields him from U.S. criminal jurisdiction.
The court has yet to rule on the defense request. Until then, the assertion that Maduro enjoys head-of-state immunity remains an argument presented by his legal team rather than a judicial determination.