The U.S. Treasury Department is reportedly blocking Venezuela's government from paying legal fees for former President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro's attorney, Barry Pollack, stated in an email to a Manhattan federal judge that this action interferes with Maduro's constitutional right to counsel.
Maduro and Flores were apprehended by U.S. forces in Venezuela on January 3rd and have pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges. They are currently jailed in New York without bail.
According to Pollack, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control initially granted authorization for the Venezuelan government to pay the legal fees on January 9th. However, this authorization was rescinded hours later without explanation, though a license for payment of Flores's lawyers remained in place.
The dispute arises amidst complex U.S. foreign policy towards Venezuela, which has seen the U.S. cut ties with Maduro's government. Prosecutors aim to counter Maduro's claims of immunity from prosecution as a foreign head of state.
Pollack asserts that the U.S. actions impede Maduro's ability to secure counsel and violate his Sixth Amendment rights. Maduro faces potential life imprisonment if convicted on charges of facilitating cocaine shipments into the U.S. and ordering violence against those indebted to him.