Venezuela court orders arrest of opposition leader after coup
Following an attempted coup in Venezuela, the country's supreme court has ordered the arrest of opposition leader Lopez.
Venezuela's Supreme Court has ordered the arrest of Leopoldo Lopez, an opposition activist who took refuge in the Spanish Embassy following an attempt to overthrow Venezuelan President Maduro this week.
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| Opposition leader Lopez (center) shakes hands with supporters on April 30. Photo: AP. |
Venezuela's Supreme Court on May 2 ordered police to arrest Mr. Lopez for violating the terms of his house arrest.
On April 30, Lopez appeared outside a military base in Caracas with opposition leader Juan Guaido, who urged the Venezuelan military to overthrow President Maduro. When the military did not respond, Lopez and his family took refuge in the residence of the Chilean ambassador and then moved into the Spanish embassy in the country.
Lopez was previously arrested for leading anti-government protests in 2014 and was under house arrest for two years.
Former Venezuelan Ambassador to the United Nations Diego Arria said it would be a mistake to think that the Venezuelan military is separate from Mr. Maduro's regime.
