Leopoldo López, Venezuelan Political Prisoner, Is Released to House Arrest
that This is a step toward freedom, not just Leopoldo’s, but also a step that brings all Venezuelans closer to freedom,
Later in the day, Vladimir Padrino López, Venezuela’s defense minister, said the release was evidence of the government’s commitment to "tolerance
and dialogue." The case has been the subject of intense political and diplomatic negotiations since Mr. López, the founder of the political movement Voluntad Popular, or Public Will, was arrested in the wake of large street demonstrations in February 2014.
By ERNESTO LONDOÑOJULY 8, 2017
RIO DE JANEIRO — Leopoldo López, Venezuela’s most prominent political prisoner, was released from a military prison on Saturday morning and transferred to house arrest in a surprise move
that could invigorate the protest movement against President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Leopoldo’s transfer to house arrest confirms that the relentless pressure is working." Mr. López, a charismatic Harvard-educated politician who has been
out of public view for more than three years, made a brief appearance on Saturday afternoon outside his house, where throngs of supporters gathered.
that Giving Leopoldo López house arrest shows how desperate and divided they are,