Judge Alvin Hellerstein promised to soon issue a ruling to determine if he will order the US administration to allow the South American country's funds to cover the couple's legal fees. During a heated exchange, prosecutor Kyle Wirshba argued before the magistrate that there is no legal pathway that compels the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to grant a license to release the frozen funds. Meanwhile, the federal judge, appointed during Bill Clinton's presidency, clarified that he will not dismiss the charges at this time due to the non-payment to the lawyers. At the end of the session, Judge Alvin Hellerstein decided not to immediately set a date for the next court appearance. The legal process now enters a phase of anticipation while fundamental technical disputes are resolved to advance the case. The main debate of the day revolved around the funding of the defense. This ruling will set the course of the litigation, set a new hearing date, and determine the defendants' ability to maintain their current legal representation before the American justice system. Before US Marshals Service agents escorted him to the exit, the defendant shook hands with his lawyer, Barry Pollack, and waved to Flores's legal representative. As he left the main table, he addressed his defender with a short phrase: “See you tomorrow.” The judicial fate of the former leader now entirely depends on the court's next ruling on the financial issue. The second judicial hearing against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, concluded this Thursday in the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York. The denial or approval of the OFAC license represents the biggest procedural obstacle for the defense at this stage of the trial. However, he suggested the possibility of reconsidering this stance in the future, depending on his own ruling on the fee dispute. “Thank you very much for the excellent arguments,” Hellerstein expressed before adjourning the session. Subsequently, he added that he hopes to issue his decision as soon as possible. In the final minutes of the hearing, Maduro had a brief interaction with his defense team.
