A Maine-based apparel company has claimed it manufactured one of the sweatshirts Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was photographed wearing after being extradited to the U.S. over the weekend.
Peter Roberts, founder and CEO of ORIGIN, told NEWS CENTER Maine that while he is still trying to figure out how Maduro obtained the sweatshirt, his best guess is that U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents gave the sweatshirt to Maduro to wear.
“Probably a DEA agent slipped this hoodie on him and said, ‘You’re gonna feel the fabric of freedom on American soil.’ That’s my assumption. I’m taking the liberty to assume,” Roberts said in a video.
ORIGIN posted a photo on Facebook of Maduro in the hoodie in question, appearing to lean into the online chatter about Maduro’s outfits.
“Welcome to America. Good news, our ‘Patriot Blue’ RTX shirt will be shipping in the spring. They are available for pre-order!” the post reads.
The sweatshirt is listed online as the RTX brrr° Cooling Training Hoodie available for pre-order for $79. Shipping is scheduled to begin in February.
“We don’t want to politicize it,” Roberts said. “We’re just trying to use it for brand awareness and to get people back into our store.”
“He definitely gave two thumbs up, so I think he liked the fabric,” Roberts noted.
Over the weekend, the Trump administration ordered U.S. forces to invade Venezuela and abduct Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their home in Caracas, Venezuela. The deposed leader is facing several charges in the U.S., including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation into the U.S., and weapons charges.
Maduro appeared in federal court in New York on Monday and pleaded not guilty.
“I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela,” he said through a translator. “I’m innocent. I’m not guilty. I am a decent man.”
President Donald Trump said the U.S. will “run” Venezuela—home to more than 30 million people—in the meantime, but has not provided much clarity on America’s new role.
While Maduro was en route to New York on Saturday, Trump posted a humiliating photo of the deposed leader, blindfolded and wearing a Nike sweatsuit. That style of the Nike Tech fleece zip-up jacket that he was pictured in has now sold out in the U.S. in several sizes.
