Maduro pleads not guilty in US court

NEW YORK -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday pleaded not guilty to all US charges during his first court appearance in New York.

"I am innocent, I am not guilty," Maduro told the court, adding that he was "kidnapped" at his home in Caracas and that he remains the president of Venezuela, according to media inside the courtroom.

Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, said at court that she is completely innocent of the charges brought against her by the United States.

The next hearing on the case against Maduro is scheduled for March 17.

Protesters gathering outside the court were shouting slogans and holding banners of "Free Maduro," "No War on Venezuela," and "USA hands off Venezuela."

"The charges are completely outrageous," Sydney Loving, one of the protesters told Xinhua. "We're against any intervention like that on a sovereign nation."

"To kidnap a president of another country is absolutely crossing red line. It definitely violates international law," she said.

In the early hours of Saturday, US military forces carried out attacks and bombings in Caracas and other parts of Venezuela and took Maduro and his wife by force, before putting them in custody in New York.

The US attacks have shocked the international community, triggering a steady stream of condemnation and serious concerns worldwide.

On Saturday, people took to the streets across more than 100 US cities, including Washington, Boston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago and Miami, protesting against the US military operation on the oil-rich South American nation, demanding the US government to free Maduro.