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Leopoldo Lopez

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Politician

The Resume

    (April 29, 1971- )
    Born in Caracas, Venezuela
    Birth name is Leopoldo Eduardo López Mendoza
    Co-founded Primero Justicia alongside Henrique Capriles Radonski and Julio Borges, in 2000
    Elected Mayor of the Chacao Municipality in the regional elections held in July 2000
    Founded the Voluntad Popular political party in 2009
    Served as Voluntad Popular's National Coordinator
    Known for wearing white as a Voluntad symbol of non-violence, a trademark shared by his supporters
    Founded the hashtag movement, #lasalida ('the exit'/'the solution' in Spanish) in 2014
    Arrested on charges of murder and terrorism, later downgraded to charges of 'instigating arson, damage and criminal gatherings' (Feb. 18 2014)
    Namesake for the popular US-led movement, Free Leopoldo, founded in 2014
    Announced the beginning of a hunger strike as an act of political protest during his confinement, urging other jailed opposition members to follow suit (May 26, 2015)

Why he might be annoying:

    His name sounds like 'Leopold and Loeb.'
    He has been described as 'arrogant, vindictive, and power-hungry.'
    He was born rich, hailing from one of Venezuela's wealthiest families.
    He has been known to give interviews while shirtless.
    He is a pretty boy who has been likened to a Ken Doll game show host.
    He explained his choice of career politics over a stable job by calling it 'an irrational idea driven by faith.'
    He played a central role in the citizen's arrest of Chavez's interior minister, Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, but tried to distance himself from accusations that he orchestrated it.
    He has been a divisive figure even within the opposition movement, to the point where the US Embassy coined the term 'the Lopez Problem' in reference to him.
    He left Primero Justicia in 2007 over disputes with other party members, leaping from one political party to another before launching an ill-fated bid for the 2012 Presidential nomination.
    He waged a covert rivalry with fellow opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, with many claiming that he replaced the 'more moderate' Capriles as the face of the opposition movement, particularly after his 2013 election loss.
    The photo of his being separated from his wife during his arrest became an iconic symbol of the Venezuelan student-led opposition movement and its brutal suppression by government forces.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He looks like Ted McGinley.
    He is a direct descendant of Simon Bolivar.
    He has been compared to Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez, and Mahatma Gandhi.
    He was openly critical of the Hugo Chavez administration shortly after assuming the office of Chacao Mayor.
    He was listed in Foreign Policy Magazine's Leading Global Thinkers of 2014.
    He was awarded the Democracy Award by the National Endowment for Democracy in May 2015.
    His opposition to the Chavez government culminated in an attempted coup against Chávez in 2002.
    He was targeted by the Chávez government when 26 criminal charges were filed against him, effectively barring from seeking public office (2006).
    The Inter-American Court of Human Rights later determined that the Venezuelan government had violated López's rights by filing the charges and issuing the sanction.
    After his arrest, he became the most popular Venezuelan politician, with an approval rating near 50% compared to President Maduro's rating below 30% (as of August 2015).
    He turned himself in to the Venezuelan National Guard in the presence of thousands of cheering supporters, giving a powerful speech before being dragged off to prison by officers (Feb. 18, 2015).
    He was subjected to numerous psychological and physical tortures during his imprisonment (excessive isolation, guards cutting through his jail cell bars with blow torches, throwing feces into his cell, etc.)

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 18 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying