Leopoldo López is a Venezuelan freedom activist and democratic leader who spent seven years as a political prisoner for organizing non-violent protests against the Maduro regime. After escaping Venezuela in 2020, he continued his global advocacy for human rights, democratic resistance, and political prisoners while living in exile with his family. A former mayor of Chacao and founder of the political movement Voluntad Popular, López has long been a central figure in Venezuela’s pro-democracy struggle, bringing international attention to the country’s authoritarian repression.

He is also the co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, a global organization launched in 2022 to unite non-violent, pro-democracy activists confronting rising authoritarianism worldwide. In parallel with his activism, López serves as a visiting fellow at the Wilson Center and The Institute, and has been a lecturer at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute. He continues to publish widely and speak internationally on democratic movements, human rights, and strategies of civil resistance.