Jailed opposition leader blamed for violence in Venezuela

The leader of one of Venezuela’s opposition parties, Leopoldo Lopez, has been charged with inciting violence in the country.
Lopez was already being held in custody, where he has been for the last month and a half, when the chief prosecutor announced the charges against him. The decision follows anti-government protests in the country in which 39 people have been killed and hundreds injured.
In response, members of the Popular Will part that Lopez leads protested for 24 hours, demanding his release. Despite the high emotions among a group of people that included Lopez’s wife, the demonstration remained peaceful.
The case against Lopez is that he encouraged his party members to engage in acts of civil unrest, including setting fire to public buildings. If he is convicted, his sentence could be as long as 14 years imprisonment.