Venezuela's Leopoldo Lopez's Hospitalization Reports Rejected By Government

Venezuela’s ruling party leader Diosdado Cabello quelled reports of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez being hospitalized in a serious condition late Wednesday. This comes after several local reports and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida said Lopez was transferred to a military hospital, where his wife, Lilian Tintori was denied entry, says reports.

Venezuela’s popular journalist Leopoldo Castillo tweeted earlier in the day saying 46-year-old Lopez was taken from the Ramo Verde military jail outside Caracas, to the hospital without vital signs. The Socialist government blamed "intoxication" for Lopez’s condition, Castillo added in his tweet. After the reports began gaining traction, Cabello showed a 20-second video clipping on state television of Lopez in good health from May 3, 9 p.m., the Associated Press (AP) reported.

"I don't understand why they want me to send a proof of life," Lopez, who stood with arms crossed in front of prison bars, said in the video, according to the AP. "I'm sending this message to my family, to my kids, to say I'm fine."

Earlier, Rubio announced on Twitter Lopez was hospitalized and was in "very serious condition." Following the unconfirmed reports, Tintori said on Twitter she was on her way to the hospital seeking information on his condition. Several posts on Twitter showed Tintori crying at the closed gates of the hospital, since she was denied entry.

"Please, can you inform us if anyone brought Leopoldo here? Did he enter or not?" she was heard saying through the metal bars at the entrance, the AP reported.

La Patilla, a Venezuelan website, reported citing his attorney that they were unable to verify about Lopez’s condition.

Lopez was jailed on Feb. 18, 2014, after surrendering to the police. In August 2015, he was handed down 13 years and nine months of prison term after being found guilty of instigating violence during the 2014 anti-government protests that killed at least 40 people. He repeatedly maintained his innocence. Lopez’s jail term was combined with the time already spent in prison.

In May 2015, he went on a month-long hunger strike to put pressure on the government official to set a date for legislative elections. He ended the strike after the election date was set for Dec. 6 that year.

Lopez’s detention triggered uproar among opposition supporters, who said President Nicolas Maduro’s government squashed human rights.

According to his website, Lopez is “the founder and National Coordinator of Voluntad Popular (Popular Will), which is a social movement and political party composed of thousands of activists and community, labor and youth leaders from all regions of Venezuela.”

Lopez was born into a well-off family that has ties to the business and oil sector, according to BBC. He studied in the U.S. and earned a master's degree from Harvard University. He came to limelight after getting elected as mayor of Caracas's Chacao district. He remained the mayor from 2000 to 2008. However, he was denied of running for reelection in the 2008 polls for allegedly misusing public funds.