- Title: Opposition vows to fight on after Lopez transfer to house arrest
- Date: 9th July 2017
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JULY 9, 2017) (REUTERS) OPPOSITION LEADER, LEOPOLDO LOPEZ, AND WIFE, LILIAN TINTORI, ON THE BALCONY OF THEIR HOME WAVING TO SUPPORTERS SUPPORTERS FROM LOPEZ' PARTY, POPULAR WILL, OUTSIDE HIS HOME TINTORI HOLDING DAUGHTER ON BALCONY WAVING TO SUPPORTERS "POPULAR WILL" SUPPORTERS GATHERED OUTSIDE LOPEZ' HOME VARIOUS OF LOPEZ SUPPORTERS PAINTING "POPULAR WILL" BANNER VARIOUS OF LOPEZ SUPPORTERS SHOUTING MESSAGES OF SUPPORT THROUGH MEGAPHONE LOPEZ SUPPORTERS GATHERED OUTSIDE LOPEZ HOME (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SUPPORTER FROM "POPULAR WILL" PARTY, LUIS SALAZAR, SAYING: "We are at 100 days of resistance. Yesterday, we had a small break with the house for jail measure for our brother Leopoldo Lopez and that is far from chilling the streets [meaning calming the streets]. As many have said out there, it will continue to encourage the young people to stay in the street throwing legs for our country [meaning sacrifice] and to be free of the corruption that we have today." SIGN READING: "LEO! WELCOME HOME. WE LOVE YOU" VEHICLE LEAVING LOPEZ HOUSE (IT IS UNKNOWN WHO IS INSIDE) PEOPLE IN THE STREET NEWSPAPERS AT KIOSK "EL NACIONAL" NEWSPAPER WITH PHOTO OF LOPEZ AND HEADLINE READING: "TODAY I AM IN PRISON IN MY HOME" (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CARACAS RESIDENT, LUIS CAMACARO, SAYING: "This seems to be a washcloth to calm the street but no - it is necessary to stay in the street. Because for him [referring to Lopez] - it is what is happening right now, part of what he did was to surrender himself - it is that people in the street are fighting to defend Venezuela." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN THE STREET
- Embargoed: 23rd July 2017 17:29
- Keywords: Leopoldo Lopez Lilian Tintori Nicolas Maduro house arrest
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016OZW85J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Galvanized by the release from jail of hardline leader Leopoldo Lopez, Venezuelan opposition supporters marked 100 days of protests on Sunday (July 9) against a socialist government they blame for political repression and economic misery.
Members of Lopez' "Popular Will" party gathered outside of Lopez' home on Sunday. Lopez and his wife Lilian Tintori appeared on their balcony and waved to the crowd. Party member, Luis Salazar, said the transfer to house arrest strengthened the determination of the opposition to keep protesting.
While Lopez was at home with his two young children, his wife Lilian Tintori, who has campaigned for him around the world, was due to address the crowd later at a public square.
Lopez, 46, was sentenced to nearly 14 years in jail on charges of inciting violence during 2014 protests against President Nicolas Maduro that led to 43 deaths. But he was surprisingly granted house arrest and transferred before dawn on Saturday due to what the Supreme Court called "irregularities" in his case and for health reasons. Lopez looked robust, however, when he later appeared to supporters. The government seems to be calculating his return home may ease domestic protests and international censure, but opposition leaders are viewing it as vindication for their strategy and have vowed to step up their street tactics. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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