Venezuelans To Protest For Opposition Leader's Release
Rukhshan Mir (@rukhshanmir) Published February 18, 2017 | 08:25 AM
CARACAS, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Feb, 2017 ) : Jailed Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez has called on his supporters to hold a "massive" protest on Saturday, after US President Donald Trump incensed Caracas by calling for his release.
Lopez, the founder of Popular Will -- one of the most hardline parties opposing President Nicolas Maduro -- is serving a nearly 14-year sentence on charges of inciting unrest at anti-government protests in 2014.
Saturday marks the third anniversary of his arrest, and Popular Will has called a protest in Caracas under the banner "No more dictatorship." In an audio message recorded in his jail cell at the Ramo Verde military prison, Lopez urged Venezuelans to join in.
"My Venezuelan brothers and sisters, we would like to invite you to a forceful, massive protest on the streets of Venezuela this Saturday," he said. The message comes after Trump met with Lopez's wife on Wednesday and tweeted that Venezuela should "immediately" free Lopez, whom he called a "political prisoner.
" The following day, Venezuela's Supreme Court upheld Lopez's sentence.
His lawyer said he would appeal to international courts. US-Venezuelan tensions have soared since Trump's tweet, with Maduro warning the new American leader not to provoke him. Lopez's sentence has been strongly condemned by the United Nations, the United States and the European Union.
The opposition leader has managed to smuggle a handful of video and audio recordings out of jail. His lawyers say he is punished each time with measures such as bans on family visits. Venezuela's socialist government, which is fending off a punishing economic crisis that has pummeled its popularity, denies Lopez is a political prisoner.
It blames him for the deaths of 43 people during the 2014 protests.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From World
-
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
2 minutes ago -
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
2 minutes ago -
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
17 minutes ago -
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
7 minutes ago -
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
7 minutes ago -
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
14 minutes ago
-
Israeli-fired unexploded bombs could take 14 years to clear: UN
7 minutes ago -
US announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
2 minutes ago -
Pakistan’s National Day Reception held in Colombo
1 minute ago -
Erdogan's White House talks with Biden on May 9 postponed: Turkish official
41 seconds ago -
Spanish PM keeps country guessing on his future
43 seconds ago -
At least 10 people killed in Brazil fire: officials
2 hours ago