- Title: Venezuela restores opposition leader Ledezma's house arrest: daughter
- Date: 4th August 2017
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LEDEZMA AT MEETING WITH PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO
- Embargoed: 18th August 2017 16:26
- Keywords: Antonio Ledezma release Oriette Schadendorf Capriles political prisoner
- Location: CARACAS AND SAID TO BE CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS AND SAID TO BE CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0026SQS6YV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Venezuela returned opposition leader Antonio Ledezma from prison to his home on Friday (August 4) , hours before the government planned to inaugurate a new legislative superbody authorized to expand the powers of leftist President Nicolas Maduro.
Ledezma and fellow opposition figure Leopoldo Lopez, who supporters call political prisoners, had been taken to prison from house arrest early on Tuesday after encouraging protests against the new constituent assembly, which will have the power to re-write the constitution and could allow Maduro to govern by decree.
The 545-member assembly was expected to hold its first session later in the day. The opposition, which boycotted the vote on the grounds that the creation of the assembly undermines basic democratic principles, is calling for protests against it.
According to Ledezma's family, the former mayor of Caracas was brought to his residence early in the morning.
It was not immediately evident whether Lopez would also be returned from jail to house arrest. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
