Join us for a public event with Leopoldo López, political leader in Venezuela and prominent advocate for democracy. Mr López will share his experiences as a former leader of the Venezuelan opposition and reflect on the political challenges facing Venezuela today.
Meet our speaker and chair
Leopoldo López () is a Venezuelan opposition leader and pro-democracy activist. He founded the Venezuelan opposition party Voluntad Popular and served as mayor of the Chacao municipality in Caracas. In 2014, Leopoldo was arrested on trumped-up charges for leading peaceful, nationwide protests denouncing Nicolás Maduro’s regime. After a 19-month show trial, he was sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison. Today, he continues to be a leading voice in calling for democracy not only in Venezuela but also across the globe. Leopoldo is a co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, which he strongly believes will be instrumental in unifying pro-democracy and human rights activists to combat the global trend toward authoritarianism.
Andrés Velasco () is Professor of Public Policy and Dean of the School of Public Policy at LSE. In 2017-19 he was a member of the G20 Eminent Persons Group. During 2015-16 he co-chaired the Global Panel on the Future of the Multilateral Lending Institutions. In 2013-16 he was a member of the Global Oceans Commission.
More about this event
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