Maduro Declares Himself a Prisoner of War During New York Court Appearance

Inside a New York courthouse on Monday, Nicolás Maduro declared himself a prisoner of war during his first federal court appearance since he and his wife were captured in a U.S. military operation in Venezuela and transferred to the United States. The claim echoed the approach taken by Gen.

Manuel Antonio Noriega after his capture. Noriega sought prisoner-of-war status, wore a military uniform at trial, and after his 1992 conviction on drug trafficking, money laundering and racketeering charges received special accommodations in prison; the trial judge allowed him to wear his uniform and formally granted him P.O.W.

status after conviction, and prosecutors ultimately did not oppose his special accommodations. Legal experts cited differences that they said make a similar outcome for Mr. Maduro unlikely: he never was a combatant nor served in the Venezuelan military, though he has worn a military uniform with the presidential rank of commander in chief.

"He can try, but he'll lose," Stephen I. Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown, said, adding that the federal government will likely argue that the United States is not in a state of war with Venezuela despite statements by the Trump administration and that questions remain about the administration's authority to wage such a war without congressional approval.

Key Topics

World, Nicolás Maduro, Manuel Noriega, Operation Just Cause, Venezuela, Geneva Conventions