Jailed Venezuelan opposition leader goes on trial

[Zorro]

Source: AP

A top leader of the anti-government protests that wracked Venezuela for months this spring is getting his day in court.

A defense lawyer, Juan Carlos Gutierrez, told The Associated Press after the hearing adjourned in the evening that Lopez defended the calling of demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government.

Lopez testified that his call to protest "was framed in the constitution that guarantees peaceful and non-violent protest," the attorney said.

Judge Susana Barreiros, who is presiding over the trial, said the next session would be held Aug. 6.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/jailed-venezuelan-opposition-leader-goes-trial-193807663.html

[MyNameGoesHere]

1. Has to be a lie

everyone knows that dictators don't have trials.

[Recursion]

2. Huh? Dictators love show trials

Now, I don't think Maduro's a "dictator" (yet), but dictators love big fancy trials.

[MyNameGoesHere]

5. You mean the ones where they follow their constitution

and judicial procedures?

[geek tragedy]

7. Yes, after they've decided he is guilty

they have a trial to confirm it.

If you think there's a 1/1000000000 chance the court will follow the law rather than the wishes of the government . . .

[Bacchus4.0]

8. Maduro already said that Lopez is going to pay and has to pay n/t

N

[hack89]

3. Dictators love show trials

public humiliation is a powerful weapon.

[IronGate]

6. This is nothing more than a show trial, which dictators are well known for,

I'll bet the verdict is already agreed upon and that he'll be sentenced to prison.

[geek tragedy]

4. So, does sentencing happen before or after

closing arguments in the trial? Not familiar with Bolivarian criminal procedure.

[Zorra]

9. Good! It's generally always a wise decision to lock up hard core RW extremists when they promote

and instigate violence. With the alarming, rapid rise of militant RW groups in the US, Russia, France, and other nations around the world, other countries may want to follow the example of Venezuela and stop the violence of their local (but often foreign funded) RW extremists, before it's too late to stop their destructive madness.

Opposition Candidate Leopoldo Lopez: A Corrupt “Pretty Boy” with Extremist Credentials

Leopoldo Lopez Mendoza comes from one of Venezuela’s wealthiest families and is known for his “good-boy” looks and extreme right-wing agenda. Lopez has been an anti-Chavez media favorite for his “heroic” negation of a decision by Venezuela’s Comptroller General barring him from holding office until 2014 for acts of corruption committed while he was mayor of Caracas municipality Chacao and during his time as a state employee of PDVSA.
snip---
As a young adult, Lopez received his higher education in the United States. Starting out at Ohio’s Kenyon College, where he studied economics, the opposition candidate went on to obtain a Master’s in Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School for Government. Upon returning to Venezuela, Lopez spent three years (1996-1999) working at state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), at which time he is said to have “stolen money and trafficked influences” in order to finance a right-wing startup political party named Primero Justicia or Justice First.
snip---
Celebrating their violent takeover of the Venezuelan presidency, Lopez and others in the Venezuelan opposition went on to sign the “Carmona Decree”, dissolving all of the country’s democratic institutions including its National Assembly, Supreme
Court, Attorney General, and Public Defender.

Fortunately for Venezuelan democracy, mass demonstrations on behalf of President Chavez brought an end to the coup less than 48-hours after it began. According to investigative journalist Eva Golinger, Lopez is one of several Primero Justicia members who “made frequent trips to Washington during the pre-coup period to visit IRI(International Republican Institute) headquarters and meet with officials in the Bush administration”. IRI, with funding from the US State Department, became a principal financier and advisor to Lopez’s party and the coup planners.

http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/6750

[Archae]

10. Venezuela Analysis gets money from Maduro.

This was noted in the Wikipedia.

[Zorra]

13. No, that's not true. Here's the wikipedia entry:

Support

Greg Wilpert founded the website in 2003 with Martin Sanchez, one of the founders of Aporrea.org (es), a pro-Chavez website, who set up the 'technical side' of the site.[9][10] Up to February 2014, Venezuelanalysis.com's 'about' page stated that its "Web server services and bandwidth is donated by Aporrea.org, a larger site maintained by grassroots groups in Venezuela."[11] In 2007, Wilpert stated the site had received "some funding" from the Venezuelan government's Ministry of Culture, in addition to accepting "grassroots donations."[7] He also indicated that Venezuelanalysis.com had "mutual support agreements" with the groups Green Left Weekly, Alia2, and "briefly" with Telesur, along with other organizations.[7] [12] As of April 2014, the site's 'about page' states that "we depend 100% on reader donations and receive no funding from any governments."[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelanalysis.com#Support

These 6 Corporations Control 90% of the US Media.

http://www.businessinsider.com/these-6-corporations-control-90-of-the-media-in-america-2012-6

[Archae]

14. They admitted to it in 2007.

Now? They say they get no funding from the Venezuelan government.

You really believe that, based on Maduro's past deceptions?

"Oh we have nothing to do with the motorcycle goons..."

[EX500rider]

16. How about this part?

It has been varyingly described as "pro-Chávez" and "left-leaning." The site says it relies entirely on reader donations, although Wilpert stated in a 2007 interview that the site had received "some funding" from the Venezuelan government's Ministry of Culture.
The Global Post described Wilpert as "perhaps the most prominent Chavista". Wilpert's wife Carol Delgado was named Consul General of Venezuela in New York in 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelanalysis.com

[EX500rider]

11. Gosh he sounds like the devil! lol

Starting out at Ohio’s Kenyon College, where he studied economics, the opposition candidate went on to obtain a Master’s in Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School for Government.
Oh No! The HORROR!!

"at which time he is said to have “stolen money and trafficked influences”
Well that's sound pretty definite! No innuendo or smearing there!

[geek tragedy]

12. Maduro is learning from Putin.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014855012

Leftwing thugs are not terribly different from rightwing thugs when they get into power, it seems.

[Psephos]

15. Geek, I don't always (!) find myself agreeing with you, but your posts in this thread are spot-on.

It's not about right or left, socialist or capitalist, it's about power and outcomes.

Carry on.