Venezuelan court upholds sentence against opposition leader

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP/Daily Mail)16 February 2017 - Venezuela’s highest court has upheld a 14-year prison sentence for opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, ruling a day after U.S. President Donald Trump called for his release after meeting with Lopez’s wife.  

Lopez was found guilty of inciting violence during a wave of deadly anti-government protests in 2014, a conviction that many foreign governments see as politically motivated.  

Thursday’s ruling makes the conviction final.   A day earlier Trump tweeted a photo of himself with Lopez’s wife, Lilian Tintori, demanding that the opposition leader be let out “immediately.”  

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez accused Trump of committing an “aggression” against Venezuela.   The development comes during a turbulent week for U.S.-Venezuela relations. The U.S. announced sanctions against Venezuela’s vice president Monday, accusing him of playing a major role in international drug trafficking.