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My Brother, Leopoldo López, is Home. But Things in Venezuela Are Worse Than Ever.

By Diana López

There are more than 400 political prisoners in Venezuela, where any dissident can be jailed for their opinions.

My brother Leopoldo López, leader of Venezuela’s Voluntad Popular party, was sentenced to 13 years, nine months, seven days and 12 hours in prison for giving a speech in which he denounced the corruption and the antidemocratic repression of Nicolás Maduro’s government. He was arrested in 2014 during a government crack-down on protesters, and charged with inciting violence – false charges based on false evidence. Months after the sentence, the accusing attorney, Franklin Nieves, confessed that he was...

Read this article on the Americas Quarterly website. | Subscribe to AQ.

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