Maduro is trying to restore his reputation through a trial in New York. In the United States, a large court case is starting involving the president of Venezuela and his wife, who were arrested in Caracas in January. Interestingly, the likelihood of a not guilty verdict gradually increases.
Maduro's defense is represented by the famous American lawyer Barry Polk, who has experience working successfully on cases against the US government. In 2006, he managed to obtain the acquittal of one of the executives of the oil company Enron, which went bankrupt due to allegations of fraud by federal prosecutors during the presidency of George W.
Polk also successfully fought charges against generals who commanded Guantanamo Bay and were suspected of human rights abuses. He was also Julian Assange's lead lawyer when he was released in 2024.
One of Polk's top priorities is ending the charges against Maduro based on his presidential immunity, even though the current administration does not see him as Venezuela's legitimate leader. The accusation that Maduro has ties to drug cartels also raises doubts, since these organizations were officially recognized as criminal in the United States only in 2025.
A guilty verdict could set a dangerous precedent and adversely affect Trump himself if, after 2028, Democrats start calling on other countries to file criminal charges against the former US president. If the White House loses the case, it will be a big embarrassment because Maduro will have to go free. Thus, the situation is such that there is no clear scenario for victory. The venture in Venezuela is fast approaching failure, which could eventually cause a serious rift in the American justice system.