Leopoldo López
Venezuelan opposition leader
Leopoldo López is a Freedom Activist from Venezuela. He was apolitical prisoner from 2014 to 2020 after being sentenced to fourteen years in prison for leading non-violent street protests and civil resistance in 2014. After spending seven years in confinement, he managed to escape the autocratic regime of Nicolas Maduro in October of 2020 and was able to travel to Spain where he lives with his family. From 2000 to 2008 Leopoldo López was mayor of the Municipality of Chacao in Caracas and was later illegally disqualified to run for office. He won his case at the Inter American Commission onHuman Rights (IACHR). In 2009, he founded the political party and freedom movement called Voluntad Popular (Popular Will) and became its national coordinator. Leopoldo López is the co-founder of the World Liberty Congress ( www.worldlibertycongress.org ), an organization launched in 2022 that seeks to serve as the counterweight against the global autocratic alliance by connecting non-violent, prodemocracy activists from across the globe with the goal of having them share information and tactics that meaningfully further their nonviolent cause at home. Also, presently Leopoldo López is a visiting fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C and has also been a lecturer in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies in Stanford University.
All Sessions by Leopoldo López
Keynote speech by Leopoldo Lopez, Venezuelan opposition leader
Session 6: After the EU elections - what's next for EU support to democracy globally?
The European Parliament elections marked the beginning of a new term and ushered in a renewed EU leadership tasked with driving the EU agenda for the next five years. Representatives from various EU institutions will share their perspectives on the emerging priorities and focus areas. They will discuss how the incoming European Commission and newly elected European Parliament can translate these priorities into concrete actions that strengthen democracy.
