Maduro in court – Venezuela’s deposed leader tells judge “I am a prisoner of war” | BBC News

Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro has told a court in New York that he is still the country’s president and ”a prisoner of war", as he pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges.

Mr Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were abducted from Venezuela’s capital Caracas on Saturday by US special forces during a military assault.

In Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim President in the National Assembly. She described Maduro and his wife as heroes and said she took the oath of office with pain because of the suffering caused by "illegitimate military aggression”.

The United Nations Security Council has been holding an emergency debate on the US operation. The UN Secretary General António Guterres said he was "deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected”. Iran and China both called for Maduro’s immediate release with China’s foreign ministry accusing the US of "a clear violation of international law”.

Shares in some US oil companies have risen sharply, after the Trump administration made clear that it plans to control Venezuela’s oil industry.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Sarah Smith, Orla Guerin, Simon Jack, Chris Mason and Jeremy Bowen.

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