In response to Opposition Leader Leopoldo Lopez’ Letter from Military Prison:

Senator Ted Cruz took Lopez’s call for international condemnation of the Venezuelan government to heart, Wednesday and released the following statement in support of the jailed leader. 

 “Jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez has asked for supporters around the globe to raise their voices on behalf of those being persecuted as they protest for freedom in Venezuela,” said  Sen. Cruz. “Even though he has been detained for more than a month, Mr. Lopez has managed to get the word out through the New York Times – through the freedom of the press we enjoy here in America – about the desperate situation in his country and the increasingly brutal methods Nicolas Maduro and his Cuban accomplices are using to silence dissent.
 
“Mr. Lopez’ call for the restoration of civil society and basic human rights commands our attention. His bravery in continuing to speak out even from his prison cell commands our respect.  He is right, ‘To be silent is to be complicit.’ The Venezuelan people deserve better than to be forced to endure a skyrocketing murder rate, a 57 percent inflation rate and shortages of the basic necessities of life.  And they do not deserve to be summarily incarcerated, or worse, when they protest for a more free and prosperous way of life. Free Leopoldo Lopez now.”