CARACAS – After President Donald Trump's administration repeated its demand on Saturday to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for the release of political prisoners, Leopold Lopez's wife Lilian Tintori took to the streets of Caracas.
Tintori, who marched with about 200 others in Caracas, met with Trump earlier this week before the Venezuelan Supreme Court upheld the punishment of Lopez, who faces a 14-year sentence on charges of inciting unrest at anti-government protests in 2014.
"We call for the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience, respect for the rule of law, the freedom of the press, the separation of constitutional powers within the government, and the restoration of a democratic process that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people," the department's acting spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.
The Trump administration also asked Maduro to free Antonio Ledezma, Daniel Ceballos and "many other students, activists, journalists, and peaceful protestors."
Lopez is the founder of the Voluntad Popular, the Popular Will party. On Monday, the U.S. also imposed sanctions on the Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami and accused him of drug trafficking.
Local 10 News' Andrea Torres contributed to this story.