US adds torture conspiracy charge against Maduro and Flores
publishers 97articles 115first reported 7 Oct, 20:05 UTCdeveloping since 8 Oct · 15 editions
U.S. prosecutors in New York filed a new charge Thursday accusing former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, of conspiring to torture political opponents and other detainees, including U.S. citizens.
The revised indictment alleges that Maduro and Flores oversaw a system that used torture, arbitrary detention and violence to suppress dissent and preserve their authority. Prosecutors said the alleged abuses included beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation, waterboarding, rape, forced injections, starvation and threats against victims’ families.
The Japan Times reported that the charge covers the alleged torture of nine people, including three U.S. citizens. In one case, an American detainee allegedly endured beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation, forced injections and deprivation of food and water during more than eight months in custody.
Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas during a U.S. military operation in January and are being held in Brooklyn pending a trial scheduled for June. Both previously pleaded not guilty to charges involving cocaine trafficking, weapons and related conspiracies. Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, said Maduro denies the new allegations and “looks forward to his day in court.”
A U.S. court also denied Flores’s request to leave jail for private home detention in New York because of health concerns, CNA reported. Both defendants have sought dismissal of the case, arguing that they have immunity as the former president and first lady of Venezuela.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 6 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 42 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
- 97
- Source articles
- 115
- Given to the writer
- 8, 6 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 42 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- revised
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.
WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: One abuse description should be corrected to match the sourced wording while the rest of the story is supported. - "Prosecutors said the alleged abuses included beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation, waterboarding, sexual violence, forced injections, starvation and threats against victims’ families.": The list blends details from sources but omits attribution to the indictment/source for some specific abuse types and uses 'sexual violence,' which is not the wording in the sources.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
US adds torture conspiracy charge against Maduro and Flores
U.S. prosecutors in New York filed a new charge Thursday accusing former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, of conspiring to torture political opponents and other detainees, including U.S. citizens.
The revised indictment alleges that Maduro and Flores oversaw a system that used torture, arbitrary detention and violence to suppress dissent and preserve their authority. Prosecutors said the alleged abuses included beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation, waterboarding, sexual violence,rape, forced injections, starvation and threats against victims’ families.
The Japan Times reported that the charge covers the alleged torture of nine people, including three U.S. citizens. In one case, an American detainee allegedly endured beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation, forced injections and deprivation of food and water during more than eight months in custody.
Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas during a U.S. military operation in January and are being held in Brooklyn pending a trial scheduled for June. Both previously pleaded not guilty to charges involving cocaine trafficking, weapons and related conspiracies. Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, said Maduro denies the new allegations and “looks forward to his day in court.”
A U.S. court also denied Flores’s request to leave jail for private home detention in New York because of health concerns, CNA reported. Both defendants have sought dismissal of the case, arguing that they have immunity as the former president and first lady of Venezuela.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →