Today is your birthday. You wake up to your family congratulating you. You’re about to have a nice day. You’ll celebrate with your family, eat some cake, and you’ll feel so loved. It’s simply the best day of the year. At least that’s how it usually goes for regular people, but Leopoldo Lopez is no regular person.
Two days ago, the Venezuelan opposition leader, a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government in Harvard, turned 46 years old. His wife, Lilian Tintori and her two children; Leopoldo Santiago and Manuela Rafaela approached Ramo Verde, the prison where he has been for the last three years, hoping to see him, after one month of not being allowed to. They Police said No. Again. They had no option but to trust the police with getting the cake to him. I guess he’ll eat alone. If he actually gets it. It’s his fourth birthday spent in prison.
Now, let’s go to where the story actually begins. Leopoldo Lopez has been a relevant figure for Venezuela’s opposition for quite some time. But it wasn’t until February 2014 that not only Leopoldo’s but Venezuela’s history changed forever. This was when the pacific protests started, which was when the world found out about what was going on in the country, and it was all convoked by him. About 43 people died, 600 got hurt and 3500 arrested, most of them under 20 years old. All in the hands of the so-called National Guard that is supposed to protect us. Never the less, the Cold- Hearted-Government decided to use the damage that they created by themselves to their favor. They decided to capture Leopoldo and charge him for public instigation, damage to property, intentional fire and association to commit a crime. He wasn’t afraid. He knew he wasn’t guilty, why would he escape? Therefore, he delivered himself.
More than a year later, he got a trial. But when the justice system doesn’t work, a trial is not what it should be. He was condemned for 13 years and nine months. Some time later, his public prosecutor, Franklin Nieves, confessed that he was pressured by the Government into holding false proof against López.
Until this date, Leopoldo’s family struggles to get in contact with him, not only because every now and then they aren’t allowed in to visit him, but because they make them get completely naked sometimes in order to let them in. It has also been claimed by Lilian that the opposition leader is tortured as well. Similarly, the prison constantly isolates Leopoldo from other prisoners for longer than what law allows for.
None of this, however, has stopped this incredibly perseverant man from encouraging Venezuelans. From 300 meters of distance, he communicates by screaming. On a previous occasion, there was no information at all regarding Leopoldo during 150 hours. So, late in the night, his mother, his wife and some followers went to see him. They screamed at him, no response. But suddenly, they heard “Strength!”, Everyone was cheering. Everyone was screaming “Strength and faith!”. I really recommend all of you to see for yourselves this video. You don’t need to be Venezuelan, you don’t need to know Spanish to get your heart warmed by this.
BBC News reporter Stephen Sackur and his team, accompanied by Antonieta Mendoza, the mother of Leopoldo, went to talk to him through screams as well. Despite the loud noise that the reporter says that the police intentionally caused, they managed captured the whole message:
Again, all from 300 meters of distance. This moment was also recorded and translated too. Click to watch.
On a personal note: Leopoldo means so much to so many. He is hope. It’s not odd to think that coincidently, he’s descendent from Simón Bolivar, the man that once, having power and money, decided to give it all up to free Venezuela and half of Latin America from the Spanish. It’s a family thing, I like to think. Sometimes I wonder where you would get that much strength. Where would you get so much love for a country? Such a pure soul?
To everyone out there, know that you’re reading history, because one day, this name will mean something to you. In the mean time, help the world find out about him and most importantly, let the world know that last time there was proof of his life was one month ago. Where is Leopoldo? Feel free to ask Maduro for me. Long life to Venezuela. Fuerza y Fe. #WhereIsLeopoldo
