Maduro not guilty plea to US charges

DEPOSED Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro declared himself "innocent" and a "decent man" as he pleaded not guilty to federal drug-trafficking charges in a US courtroom yesterday.

- MICHAEL R SISAK, LARRY NEUMEISTER, CHRISTOPHER MCKEON and DAVID LYNCH

"I'm innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country," Maduro told a judge.

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were making their first appearance in an American courtroom on the narco-terrorism charges the Trump administration used to justify capturing them and bringing them to New York.

Earlier, the Prime Minister said the "vast majority" of Labour MPs want to see democracy in Venezuela, as he faces calls from backbenchers to take a tougher line with Donald Trump.

Sir Keir Starmer has come under pressure from MPs on Labour's left to condemn the US military action that saw Maduro and his wife captured.

Labour MP Emily Thornberry, who is chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, told Times Radio: "I’m not going to pretend this isn’t difficult.

"And it is important that we keep a very important ally like America on board. We have, particularly, Ukraine and the interests of Ukraine that we need to consider.