All posts tagged: Nicolas

U.S. says Venezuela can pay for Nicolás Maduro and his wife’s defense

U.S. says Venezuela can pay for Nicolás Maduro and his wife’s defense

Published by Sam Flores

Federal prosecutors say the U.S. Treasury Department will allow defense attorneys for Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to be paid by the Venezuelan government. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. The move clears a major hurdle in the case, eliminating the risk of lengthy delays over funding disputes and the possibility of U.S. taxpayers footing the bill for their defense. This development comes a month after a hearing where prosecutors in the Southern District of New York argued Maduro had “plundered Venezuela’s wealth and should not be able to use its money for legal fees.” Maduro’s attorney Barry Pollock countered that the U.S. government was improperly blocking his client’s ability to fund his legal defense. “He is entitled to use those resources to defend himself,” Pollack said. Judge Alvin Hellerstein appeared amenable to the defense argument, suggesting he could dismiss the case if Maduro were unable to secure funds for his legal representation. In a joint letter filed late Friday, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton …

New Longlegs Movie in the Works from Nicolas Cage, Osgood Perkins

New Longlegs Movie in the Works from Nicolas Cage, Osgood Perkins

Published by Daniella Wilson

Osgood Perkins is working on a new Longlegs feature, a follow-up to the filmmaker’s mystery horror thriller that became highest grossing independent film of the past decade. And in a twist out of the Longlegs playbook, rather than original distributor Neon being involved, this one has Skydance-owned Paramount Pictures as the project’s new home. Paramount has picked up the rights to the new mystery Longlegs project, which Perkins has written and will direct as well as produce. Nicolas Cage is returning as star and producer. Also producing are Brian Kavanaugh Jones of Range Media; Chris Ferguson, Perkins’ partner at their company Phobos; and Dave Caplan of C2, which financed the initial movie. Paramount and Perkins are keeping details in the basement but sources stress that this new Longlegs is not a sequel but something “set in the Longlegs universe.”   Longlegs was an out-of-nowhere hit when released by Neon in 2024, launching Perkins as a name horror filmmaker and establishing the star bonafides of Maika Monroe. The actress starred as an FBI agent, with an aptitude for clairvoyance, who …

Monaco’s Charlotte Casiraghi makes public debut with new boyfriend Nicolas Mathieu

Monaco’s Charlotte Casiraghi makes public debut with new boyfriend Nicolas Mathieu

Published by Daniella Wilson

It’s now official between Monaco’s Charlotte Casiraghi and French novelist Nicolas Mathieu, as the pair made their public debut as a couple on Friday. The new couple were seen in the crowd at the Monte Carlo Country Club Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, watching the match between Italian Jannik Sinner and Czech Tomas Machac. Charlotte was seen wearing a sleek black outfit and jeans, while her new beau wore a white shirt, denim jeans and a tan jacket. The Monaco royal and French crime writer weren’t alone, as they were also joined in the stands by Nicolas’ 13-year-old son, in what was reportedly his first time in the principality. The couple were first linked in 2024 when French publication Paris Match posted pictures of the couple sitting together on the terrace of Parisian restaurant, À la Ville d’Epinal, which is located in one of the city’s most artistic neighbourhoods. © Getty ImagesCharlotte and Nicolas watched Jannick Sinner take on Tomas Machac Charlotte’s previous relationship Charlotte, who is the granddaughter of Monaco’s Prince Rainier and Hollywood actress Grace Kelly, was …

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Appears in New York City Court

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Appears in New York City Court

Published by Sam Flores

It’s the first time that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, was in court since a January arraignment at which he protested their capture by U.S. military forces and declared: “I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country.” Flores has also pleaded not guilty. Both remain jailed at a detention center in Brooklyn, and neither has asked to be released on bail. Judge Alvin Hellerstein has yet to set a trial date. Maduro returns to a Brooklyn jail A few minutes after leaving the courthouse, the motorcade had returned Maduro and his wife to the detention center on the Brooklyn waterfront where they have been held since arriving in the United States. The motorcade had left for the courthouse before dawn. Motorcade seen leaving the courthouse Shortly after Thursday’s hearing ended, a long motorcade of law enforcement vehicles could be seen leaving the courthouse complex, then heading in the direction of Brooklyn. It included SUVs and a black van with tinted windows, police cars and an ambulance. Both …

Brazil’s Lula says Maduro should face trial in Venezuela, not US | Nicolas Maduro News

Brazil’s Lula says Maduro should face trial in Venezuela, not US | Nicolas Maduro News

Published by Sam Flores

Brazil’s President Lula says fate of Venezuelan president should be determined by the ‘people of Venezuela’ and ‘not by foreign interference’. Listen to this article | 2 mins info Published On 21 Feb 202621 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro should face trial, but that it should take place in a Venezuelan court, rather than in the United States, where he is currently being held after his abduction by the US military. “I believe that if Maduro has to be trialled, he has to be trialled in his country, not trialled abroad,” Lula said in an interview, emphasising that “what matters now is to re-establish democracy in Venezuela”. “It has to be solved by the people of Venezuela, and not by foreign interference,” said Lula, citing a history of US-backed dictatorships in Latin America, including Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. “We cannot accept that a head of state of one country could invade another country and capture the president,” …

Venezuela’s National Assembly leader sets deadline for prisoner release | Nicolas Maduro News

Venezuela’s National Assembly leader sets deadline for prisoner release | Nicolas Maduro News

Published by Sam Flores

Listen to this article | 5 mins info The president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, has announced that his government plans to release all political prisoners no later than February 13. Friday’s announcement was seen as a positive step towards addressing human rights abuses under the leadership of former President Nicolas Maduro. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list But critics have long been sceptical of promises made by the Venezuelan government, which remains led by Maduro’s close allies. Speaking to the family members of political prisoners in the capital Caracas, Rodriguez set a clear deadline for the mass release. “We hope that, between next Tuesday and by Friday at the latest, they will all be free,” Rodriguez, the brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, said as he stood outside the Zona 7 detention centre. He added that the government would “repair all the mistakes” committed during the Chavismo movement, founded by the late President Hugo Chavez and continued under Maduro. Nicolas Maduro Guerra, son of ousted President Nicolas Maduro, leaves after a meeting about …

Why It’s Hard to Run Venezuela

Why It’s Hard to Run Venezuela

Published by Sam Flores

Under Nicolas Maduro, a status quo prevailed among Venezuela’s powerful armed factions: Paramilitary cells enforced the government’s priorities. Ever-expanding crime syndicates, deep-pocketed prison gangs and combat-tested Colombian rebels often colluded with local officials or the federal government. But with Mr. Maduro gone, and allies and opponents competing to fill the power vacuum at Venezuela’s center, there are many forces — or breakaway groups within them — that could frustrate the ambitions of whoever governs the country. Photos by Juan Barreto/Agence France-Presse and Adriana Loureiro Fernandez/The New York Times For now, Delcy Rodríguez, a Maduro ally who led the stabilization of Venezuela’s economy after a harrowing crash, has emerged as the Trump administration’s choice to lead the country. Ms. Rodríguez, the administration determined, has a firmer grip than the political opposition on Venezuela’s many security forces and intelligence agencies, and their paramilitary offshoots. But the transition from Mr. Maduro’s authoritarian rule is just starting. The huge investments Venezuela will need to revive its vital oil industry, and the broader economy, require at least a semblance of stability. …

Was Nicolas Maduro ‘flooding’ the US with fentanyl, as White House claims? | Drugs

Was Nicolas Maduro ‘flooding’ the US with fentanyl, as White House claims? | Drugs

Published by Sam Flores

A White House social media post misleadingly links deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro with the US fentanyl crisis. The X post includes a video highlighting parents who lost children to fentanyl overdoses thanking President Donald Trump for capturing Maduro. “Angel Families thank President Trump for saving lives & capturing Maduro – the kingpin flooding America with deadly fentanyl,” the White House’s January 5 X post said. “Justice is being served.” US troops abducted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, at their Caracas home in the early hours of January 3. The two pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges on January 5 in New York federal court. The White House post isn’t the first time the Trump administration has blamed Maduro for trafficking fentanyl to the US. Trump has cited the potent synthetic opioid that is responsible for most US drug overdose deaths to justify pressure on Venezuela in the months before Maduro’s capture. But neither Venezuela nor Maduro plays a role in smuggling fentanyl to the US. The majority of US fentanyl comes from Mexico and is made with chemicals …