Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro asked a United States court to dismiss a case against him, invoking the principle of sovereign immunity. Maduro's defense argues that he cannot be tried in American courts while serving as head of state.
Maduro's lawyer, Barry Pollack, filed two motions with the court on Wednesday seeking dismissal of the case. One of the motions argues that Maduro has immunity as the sitting president of Venezuela.
The case in the United States involves accusations against the Venezuelan leader, and the defense strategy seeks to prevent the trial from proceeding based on international laws that protect heads of state from proceedings in foreign courts.
The invocation of sovereign immunity is a common legal defense used by foreign leaders to try to avoid accountability in U.S. courts, although American courts carefully analyze each case to determine whether immunity applies.
