- Title: Pre-recorded video message released hours after Leopoldo Lopez jailed
- Date: 1st August 2017
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (AUGUST 1, 2017) (REUTERS) MEDIA GATHERED AROUND JUAN CARLOS GUTIERREZ, LAWYER FOR VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER LEOPOLDO LOPEZ / ARREST ORDER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JUAN CARLOS GUTIERREZ, LAWYER FOR VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER LEOPOLDO LOPEZ, SAYING: "Leopoldo Lopez voluntarily surrendered. Leopoldo Lopez faced a trial. Leopoldo Lopez will never flee. He has been very clear and emphatic about that. That situation is by no means going to happen and we flatly reject it and also the breach to measures imposed by the Supreme Court and much less still was there an attempt to escape." CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JUAN CARLOS GUTIERREZ, LAWYER FOR VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER LEOPOLDO LOPEZ, SAYING: "There were no restrictions to issue declarations on social network accounts. There were no restrictions to publicly refer to the political situation, social and the serious situation of the country and he also did not have restrictions on meetings. Leopoldo Lopez never, by legal counsel and in compliance with legality, failed to comply with the sentence imposed, however he is currently being held in the military prison of Ramo Verde." GUTIERREZ SURROUNDED BY MEDIA
- Embargoed: 15th August 2017 19:31
- Keywords: Lopez Maduro political body opposition leftist government Tintori pregnant blow Ledezma election Venezuela jailed constitution critics
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016SBT8P3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A video message by opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was released just hours after he was taken back to prison on Tuesday (August 1) after the election of a new political body with absolute powers to strengthen the hand of the leftist government.
In a statement announcing the jailing of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez and veteran politician Antonio Ledezma, the pro-government Supreme Court said the two were planning to flee the country and had violated terms of their house arrest by making political statements and speaking to media.
Both of the men's lawyers flatly rejected these accusations, adding they had not violated the terms of their house arrest measures.
Meanwhile, Lopez confirmed in a video sent to 6.5 of his Twitter followers, that his wife, Lilian Tintori's pregnancy was "another reason to fight for Venezuela" and added it was "the best news he had received in the last three and a half years." The video was recorded on July 17 in case Lopez was arrested again and taken from his home.
Lopez was granted house arrest in July following three years in prison for his role in anti-government street protests in 2014.
Government opponents called the abrupt removal of the men from their homes by security forces in nighttime raids a sign of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's determination to silence rivals and stamp out four months of massive street protests against him. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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