The United States will allow Venezuela to pay for Nicolas Maduro's legal defense, according to a court filing, removing a significant obstacle in the ousted leader's trial in New York.
US Treasury sanctions had previously prevented Venezuela, now led by Maduro's deputy, from funding attorneys for the leftist strongman and his wife. Both were detained by US forces in January and brought to New York to face federal criminal charges.
Maduro's defense team had argued that blocking funding violated the constitutional right to counsel of choice, seeking to dismiss the cases. However, a court filing on Friday revealed that the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued amended licenses authorizing the defense counsel to receive payments from Venezuela's government.
The approved funds must have been made available after March 5, 2026, and cannot originate from Venezuela's US-regulated oil sales. Maduro, who has declared himself a "prisoner of war," has pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy for narco-terrorism and cocaine importation.