The Venezuelan government has reached out to Interpol to issue an arrest warrant for a prominent opposition leader living abroad. Attorney General Tarek Saab announced the request for the arrest of Leopoldo Lopez, a former mayor and leader of the Voluntad Popular political party who currently resides in Spain after fleeing Venezuela in 2020.
The call for Lopez’s arrest came following his social media support for former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s stance on removing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Uribe had called for international intervention, backed by the United Nations, to oust Maduro and hold free elections, which Lopez echoed on social media.
The tensions between the Venezuelan government and the opposition escalated after Maduro was sworn in for his third term amid allegations of human rights abuses and a disputed election in 2024. The opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, who claimed victory in the election, also faced arrest warrants and went into exile.
Maduro has consistently accused foreign powers of plotting against his regime and dismissed protests as part of foreign conspiracies. The crackdown on post-election protests led to numerous arrests and casualties, with the US increasing the bounty for Maduro’s arrest.
Lopez’s controversial arrest in 2014, resulting in a lengthy prison sentence that was later changed to house arrest, has now led to new charges of inciting violence, treason, conspiracy, and criminal association. The Attorney General is seeking to arrest him again for these alleged offenses.
