by Mridula Tirumalasetti
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela—Leopoldo Lopez, the Harvard-educated politician, who is the leader of the Popular Will party in Venezuela, has been ordered to stand trial. Lopez has been in jail since February 18 for allegedly instigating violence, damaging property, and arson during an anti-governmental protest on February 12 where three people were killed. Lopez turned himself in after being accused of, by President Nicolas Maduro of the United Socialist Party and other ministers, planning these protests. Lopez, if convicted, faces up to 13 years in jail. The trial is supposed to start in August, according to Lopez’s lawyers.

The Popular Will party, a radical opposition group, seeks to force the resignation of Maduro. Demonstrations began in February over the escalating crime rates, and have continued on over the past few months. The main issues are the collapsing economy, shortages of certain food staples, and political corruption. At least 42 people have been killed since the February 12, the start of the unrest.

Human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, as well as some U.S. congressman have condemned and criticized the imprisonment of Lopez and the case against him. Amnesty International argued the charges Lopez faces are a “politically motivated attempt to silence dissent.”

Even Governor and former presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles, said “Thursday’s decision was brewing for some time.” He agrees that the imprisonment of Lopez is evidence of the deteriorating Venezuelan judicial system. Capriles added, “It’s just another barricade for justice.”

The Venezuelan government has also recently accused another opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, of conspiring with U.S. officials to assassinate the president. Both Machado and U.S. officials have denied these allegations. U.S. officials argued these allegations to be the government’s distraction from the real issue of the Venezuelan economy.

U.S. congressional leaders have, however, drafted a bill that would impose sanctions that would specifically target the Venezuelan government officials who have been accused of human rights abuses. Although the bill was approved in the House of Representatives and is currently awaiting a decision from the Senate, members of the State Department are discouraged from using these sanctions because of the possibility of ending any negotiations between the government and the opposition. Talks between the opposition forces and the government are currently halted, as the opposition demands the release of all prisoners jailed during the protests.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera America–Venezuela opposition leader to remain jailed–5 June 2014

BBC News–Venezuela: Leopoldo Lopez must stand trial, judge rules–5 June 2014

The Wall Street Journal–Jailed Venezuela Opposition Leader to Face Trial in August–5 June 2014

The Guardian–Venezuela opposition leader remains in jail while awaiting trial–5 June 2014