Gustavo Coronel
En Washington honran a los prisioneros políticos venezolanos y al activismo que lucha por la democracia.
El
14 de Mayo, en el edificio Sam Rayburn del Congreso de los Estados
Unidos se llevó a cabo un acto de reconocimiento y defensa de los
prisioneros políticos venezolanos, de los defensores de los derechos
humanos, estudiantes y sindicalistas quienes hoy dan la batalla por la
restitución de la libertad y la democracia en el país asfixiado por un
narco-régimen. En representación de estos luchadores presos estuvieron
presentes Lilian Tintori, Mitzi Capriles de Ledezma, esposas de Leopoldo
López y de Antonio Ledezma respectivamente, y Tamara Sujú, quien fue
premiada por su actividad en defensa de los derechos humanos.
Este
evento fue organizado por el National Endowment for Democracy,
organización que cuenta con el apoyo de los partidos Demócrata y
Republicano de los Estados Unidos.
En la presentación del evento, el presidente de la organización anfirtiona, Carl Gershman, dijo:
“The presentation of the 2015 Democracy Award is an opportunity to
honor the sacrifice of those who risk everything to preserve Venezuela’s
democracy: political leaders and elected officials like Leopoldo López
and Antonio Ledezma, as well as a broad spectrum of student activists,
labor unionists, human rights defenders, and others jailed for their
political activism and efforts to exercise their democratic rights in
Venezuela, and who are represented so capably by Tamara Sujú.”
Diversos
miembros del congreso hicieron intervenciones para enfatizar la lucha
que llevan a cabo los demócratas venezolanos presos del régimen
abusivo: House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ed Royce (R-CA), Ranking Foreign Affairs Committee Democrat Rep. Elliot Engel (D-NY), and NED Board member Rep. Peter Roskam (R- IL).
Las tres personas quienes recibieron el reconocimiento fueron:
Antonio Ledezma is
the Mayor of Caracas and was arrested in February 2015 when heavily
armed government thugs stormed his office and seized him for conspiring
to overthrow the state. Elected Mayor in 2008, he was promptly stripped
off most of his budget and authority by the Chávez government. Despite
these limitations, he was reelected mayor in 2013. Ledezma previously
served as a
congressman, senator and governor; he currently leads the opposition party Alianza Bravo Pueblo. He has been held in the Ramo Verde Prison and was recently hospitalized for emergency medical treatment.
congressman, senator and governor; he currently leads the opposition party Alianza Bravo Pueblo. He has been held in the Ramo Verde Prison and was recently hospitalized for emergency medical treatment.
Leopoldo López has
been detained in the prison of Ramo Verde since February 2014. He was
accused of inciting violence during the wave of social protests that
took place in early 2014. López leads the opposition party Voluntad
Popular and is the former mayor of the Chacao municipality in Caracas,
where he earned a reputation for honesty and efficiency. He was disqualified from holding public office for six years, starting in 2008, as a result of administrative sanctions due to alleged corruption.
where he earned a reputation for honesty and efficiency. He was disqualified from holding public office for six years, starting in 2008, as a result of administrative sanctions due to alleged corruption.
Tamara Sujú is
a Venezuelan lawyer and human rights activist. She is the founder of
FUNDAPRES, a foundation that brings aid to prisons in Venezuela, and is
president of the NGO Nueva Conciencia Nacional and Director of Fundación
Damas de Blanco de Venezuela. She is also the International
Coordinator of Foro Penal Venezolano. She is currently exiled in the Czech Republic where she continues to raise international awareness on the deteriorating human rights situation in Venezuela.
Coordinator of Foro Penal Venezolano. She is currently exiled in the Czech Republic where she continues to raise international awareness on the deteriorating human rights situation in Venezuela.
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