Leopoldo López’s Sentence Is Everything Wrong with Venezuela

Anyone who’s not Venezuelan, or hasn’t lived in the country during the so-called Bolivarian Revolution, may have been surprised by the Leopoldo López conviction. But for those of us who have suffered through the last 16 years, this is what we’ve come to expect. September 10, 2015 will go down in history as a political “black hole.” This single day exemplifies the quintessential traits of the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. On the morning of September 10, Jacqueline Faría, who is now running as a congressional candidate after serving in various positions during the Chávez administration, summoned pro-government activists to the Palace of Justice through social media. Once there, the Chavista groups assaulted Leopoldo López supporters who were waiting for his sentence announcement. More…