Sen. Cruz Issues Statement of Support Following Leopoldo Lopez’s Release From Unjust Imprisonment in Venezuela
‘I have long called on the U.S. government and the international community to take steps to ensure his freedom, and today’s development is a cause for optimism’
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations' Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues, today issued the following statement in response to Leopoldo Lopez being released from imprisonment by Nicolás Maduro and the Venezuelan government:
"For over half a decade the illegitimate Maduro regime has clung to power through arbitrary detentions, forced impoverishment, and increasingly brazen violence. The imprisonment of Leopoldo Lopez was an outrage and a disgrace. I have long called on the U.S. government and the international community to take steps to ensure his release, and his freedom today was long overdue.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Lopez's case was not an isolated one in Maduro's Venezuela. Thousands of people have been detained over the years and many killed for peaceful protests and political criticism, and the regime is now signaling it will unleash more mass violence against protesters calling for freedom. I applaud the Trump administration for its pressure campaign thus far, and I will continue to work with the administration and my colleagues to increase pressure on Maduro and his thugs until they stand aside and allow the people of Venezuela to fulfill their democratic aspirations."
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