When Leo met Lilian

Love, struggle and liberation story on the other side of the planet

I first saw the leader of the Venezuelan opposition Leopoldo Lopez on TV when he was arrested. It was February 2014 - neither Crimea, nor Donbass, and the whole world translated the frames of mass protests in Venezuela.

Then the Uvo Chavez, Nicholas Maduro, announced the “Economic offensive” program, which in six months turned into hyperinflation and empty shelves of stores. The anti -government protests, which began on February 12, Maduro called the planned attempt by the coup and accused Leopoldo Lopes of organizing the conspiracy. On Venezuelan television announced that Lopez would be arrested. But he disappeared. Searches for relatives did not give anything. After the searches, Leopoldo wrote on his Twitter: “Maduro, you are a coward. You will not force me to obey either me or my family. ” And on February 16, Lopez published a video message in which he called on the inhabitants of Karakas to gather on the 18th, dressing in white to emphasize the peaceful nature of protests, and promised to come to the rally and surrender to the authorities.

It was a stunningly beautiful gesture: a Hollywood look, a man in a white shirt walked around the city in a crowd of citizens to Brion Square, where he climbed the monument to Jose Marty and made a seven -minute speech. He spoke hotly and emotionally - as Latin American speakers always say. He said that he was given himself into the hands of an unfair Venezuelan court consciously, because he hopes: his arrest will arouse those who are used to living under the dictatorship for 15 years of Chavez's reign. He called for continuing protests, because when media is silent in the conditions of total censorship, the street should say. Then he thanked all the Venezuelans who want changes and are not afraid to go out onto the streets. And especially, he said, his wife Lilian. And then a blonde in white trousers began to climb the monument - it was her.

Then Leopoldo turned around the flag of Venezuela, and Lilian hung a chain with a cross in his neck. They went down the monument, and a few minutes later Lopez was arrested. He knew that a long term could wait ahead: three people were killed during the protests, and the accusations that were presented to him - terrorism, murder, arson - promised long years of prison. He would have sat for a long time if not for Lilian.

We met last fall in Vilnius. Leo and Lilian are still cinematographically beautiful and still desperately dream of free Venezuela. Someday they will make a movie about them. The more I learned from conversations with Lilian, the more obvious it became that their history was unique - just as the stories of all political prisoners and fighting for their liberation of relatives are unique. And all modes, on the contrary, are exactly the same, even if they are on different sides of the planet.

The last heroine

Lilian Tintori was a TV presenter before meeting Leopoldo. And on television, she got from a reality show. The young athlete (Lilian - Venezuela Champion in Kaiteserfing) in 2001 participated in the show "The Last Hero" (in Venezuela it is called Robinson: La Gran Aventura) and took seventh place. The show in Venezuela was incredibly popular, and Lilian immediately began to recognize on the streets. Natural beauty plus popularity after the show helped to find a job on television and create a calendering federation. From the billboards of social advertising, Lilian Tintori called on Venezuelans not to drive drunk. In general, it was prosperous and famous. And then she met Leopoldo.

Lilian at that time was passionate about sports and work, but not politics. However, she could not work on Venezuelan television and not to notice what was happening.

“Once, during the broadcast, by order of Chavez, we simply turned off the signal,” says Lilian. - It was the main channel in Venezuela. And so simple - turn off the signal. Chavez showed us strength, power, control. But now the situation is even worse than then. Maduro mode controls every word on the air, on newspapers, on the Internet.

Leopoldo Lopez was then the mayor of the municipality of Chakao. Young, educated, charismatic, active - he was a reformer and created such a transparent budget system in his Chakao that he was awarded the Transparency International Prize. Leopoldo already organized demonstrations against Hugo Chavez and was a famous oppositionist. "Golden Boy" from a famous family (his mother Anthony Mendos is a descendant of the first president of Venezuela Christobal Mendoses),

Harvard graduate, young, educated, and even with the appearance of the movie star, is the exact opposite of Chavez.

Just in case, he decided to protect himself and before the elections of the mayor of Karakas in 2008 hung Leopoldo with criminal charges. The prosecutions were not opened then, but Lopez was banned from occupying public posts. However, he met Lilian earlier.

They were introduced to a common friend, and from evening to morning they could not part. We chatted and danced. And from that night they did not part until the arrest of Leopoldo. And the friend who introduced them in that very 2014 was found dead: he was shot during a bicycle walk.

Marry Venezuela

Lilian herself made Leopoldo a proposal:

- Once - it was 2007 - I said: “Leo, we have been together for five years. Actually, I want a family, I want children. In short, I want to marry you. ” Leopoldo replied: “Are you sure you want to marry me? If we get married, you will marry the country. ” I didn't understand. He explained: “I have obligations to the country that I took on voluntarily. I want to achieve changes in Venezuela, which means that one day I can go to jail. Are you ready for this? " And I, without hesitation, answered: yes, I am ready. But when seven years later, Leopoldo was planted, it turned out that I was not ready for this. It is generally impossible to prepare for the prison. You can add a set of necessary things, hygiene supplies in advance, but morally a person still cannot be ready for this. And Leopoldo did not think about a possible arrest at all - he simply did not have time.

Lopez really did not have time. He not only worked, having achieved that Chakao became the most prosperous municipality of Karakas, not only engaged in politics, but also repelled attacks.

They attacked Leopoldo several times: they shot him, beat him, and in February 2006, armed people broke into the university and kept it hostage for six hours.

And in March of the same year, unknown people shot his bodyguard. Leopoldo took it as a signal: we can kill you at any time and anywhere.

Nevertheless, after all these attempts, Lilian invited Leopoldo to get married. She agreed to marry Venezuela. And she was happy. Lilian and Leo became interested in triathlon, she began to run marathons, and in the intervals between sports competitions she gave birth to a boy and a girl. And every year on the wedding anniversary they crossed Orinoco. It was decided that it would be great to celebrate the anniversary of the unusual - three -kilometer swim.

In 2009, Leopoldo created the Party "People's Volya". Since, thanks to the charges of Chavez, he was deprived of the right to nominate and occupy public office, the street remained for politics. As the organizer, speaker, coordinator Leopoldo, he was much more dangerous than could be if he participated in the mayor’s elections - and even if he won those elections. Nevertheless, Hugo Chavez did not put him. But Maduro could not stand it. The verdict was 13 years old.

“I remember very well the moment when I realized that Leopoldo would not be released,” says Lilian. - I closed the door to the room to stay alone. And she told himself: “Lilian, are you ready to fight? Do you want to fight? Or not? " I listened to my own body, mind, emotions, heart. And they all told me: yes. And then the understanding came from the fact that I should free not only my husband, but all the political prisoners of Venezuela. And it will be a long hard work. But first it was necessary to study. I contacted human rights activists and asked them to teach me how and what to do. I was, in essence, a first -grader, began with basic concepts. I realized that it was necessary to create a group, unification of people who achieve the liberation of political prisoners. You need to contact foreign politicians and human rights activists. And I was very lucky with my mother -in -law. We turned out to be a great tandem. My mother -in -law Anthony Mendos is a very interesting and strong person, a role -playing model for everyone. She developed the strategy of the Leo liberation campaign. She told me: “obligations, discipline - and we begin to work! And do not stop. ” Now I always say to those who have relatives in prison: we have all the possibilities for the struggle for their liberation. I am now writing a small book - instructions for relatives of political prisoners. But the main thing is simply formulated: obligation, love, discipline and resistance. And every day you need to do at least something to free them. Every day we must think about our prisoners. Every day we must try to feel what they feel while in the cell. And understand that we are their voice. Of course, there are days when it seems that there is no way out, that all this is too difficult, that there is no strength left. And then you need to ask yourself: understand, this is a reality, now it all depends on you, you need to do everything that you can on this day and at that moment. Because the obligation to fight for the liberation of a loved one is the obligation not to him, but to you, to your soul, to your love. This is the best way in other situations too. Checked on himself: he really gives strength. I remember, I told myself that this difficult path should go with a smile on my face, with energy in the body, with love in my soul.

Life is beautiful

Narcologists love to use the term “co -dependent” against relatives of drug addicts and alcoholics. But for some reason there is no term "cooked". And he must be. Because the relatives of the prisoner are also in prison. Their life is limited by the struggle for the liberation and satisfaction of household needs of a relative. Lilian called herself a postal pigeon: she was wiping into the infamous military prison "Ramo Verde" and back. She wrote letters and complaints, and when Leopoldo held a hunger strike for 30 days, she tried to achieve the admission of an independent doctor. I have not achieved. Sometimes I felt crushed, broken, broken. But she said to herself: if we, women, have enough strength to give life, then I can handle life.

Now Lilian, not Leopoldo organized demonstrations with the requirements of the release of political prisoners. She met with politicians and human rights activists, with the US President and Pope, achieved strict resolutions and increased pressure on Maduro's regime. She did not have political experience, but there was a great desire to free Leopoldo. And small children who needed a strong, energetic, cheerful mother.

- I immediately explained everything to the children: dad in prison, this is a reality, and we, unfortunately, cannot turn off this reality as a TV, so let's try to love this reality and continue to live in it, -

Lilian recalls. - I was very inspired by Roberto Benini's film “Life is Beautiful”. Life is beautiful - both in prison and in the concentration camp. My children and I made our life beautiful. Every weekend they climbed a beautiful mountain, admired the landscapes, played, and then went down and bought the most delicious ice cream.

Even if Lilian lied and said that dad was on a business trip, they would still recognize the truth. The daughter of Manuel was six when his father was arrested, and sometimes the children at the school pointed at her with a finger and called the monster’s daughter from the Ramo Verde prison (as President Maduro called Leopoldo Lopeza). When they allowed a date, Lilian took children with her. Manuel asked: "Dad, will you die in prison?"

Each campaign on a date could turn into bullying over Lilian. Once, when all the relatives of the prisoners of the Ramo Verde prison were already let inside, Lilian stopped the head of the prison and the soldier began to insult her before the system. When Lilian asked him to stop, he yelled that if she opened his mouth again, he would lose his dates forever. Then she was forced to undress naked in front of two soldiers-this is how the search in Venesuel.

“I was intimidated constantly,” Lilian continues. - They watched openly, sometimes the police instructed me with a weapon. They attempted me twice, once they even staged a fire on an airplane, I miraculously escaped. At the same time, I understood that Leopoldo is perhaps even worse: he was in a single chamber without light and water, even without candles, without letters and the right to call, without books, paper and a pencil. He was held for a whole year in such conditions, in complete isolation.

These are their methods: it is necessary to destroy not only the life of a person who challenges power, but also his family, if the family begins to talk aloud about the mockery of this person.

Perhaps if I was silent and did not try to fight for Leopoldo, they would not have tried to destroy me. They needed to drown out my voice, they used not only intimidation and attacks, they actively used fakes. Well, you yourself know how this happens: "This woman only for the sake of publicity pretends to be not indifferent to her husband’s fate, in fact she has long been with another man and even pregnant." But I knew who I was really and with whom I am!

A fire on the plane occurred in November 2015. Lilian then participated in the parliamentary campaign: she supported opposition candidates, participated in rallies, traveled around the country. On November 25, when she flew to the state of Guariko, a fire occurred on the plane during landing. Passengers, including Lilian, were really saved by a miracle, and she managed to make a rally. And even performed. And then shots rang out from a passing car. The regional leader of the democratic action party, Luis Manuel Diaz, standing next to her was killed . For this murder did not arrest anyone. Lilian suggests that the bullet was probably intended to her.

Long road to sea

After three and a half years, in the military prison of Karakas, Leopoldo Lopez was transferred under house arrest. Nicholas Maduro declared his decision with a gesture of goodwill and peace, and Venezuela's Supreme Court used the wording “for health reasons” in his decision. Everything was not in vain. Lilian seemed to finally relax, especially since a year after Leopoldo returned home, they had a third child. But Leo continued to work from the house, secretly contact with his comrades -in -arms and prepare an uprising.

In 2019, it happened. Lopez's ally, a member of his Popular Volya party, Juan Guydo, who became the speaker of the parliament, declared himself the president against the backdrop of the next wave of “anti-Madur” protests, and the military supporting him in April freed Leopoldo from house arrest. Lopez was brought to the military base of La Carlot, where Guydo was already waiting for him. And after the suppression of the rebellion, Leopoldo was able to hide at the Embassy of Spain: for the escape from the "domestic prison" a prison and a new term, in addition to the first, was waiting for him again. Then Lilian came to the embassy with a one -year -old Federica. She sent older children to Spain even earlier.

“At the Embassy of Spain in Karakas, I was with Leopoldo for a month,” Lilian recalls. - And then my daughter and I secretly fled from Venezuela - by the sea. We sailed on a boat for 13 hours, until they reached the island of Bonayre - this is the territory of the Netherlands. And Leopoldo was able to get out only after a year and a half. He was not advised, there was a very dangerous situation, but he decided - at his own peril and risk. He rode by car to the Columbian border, then illegally crossed it, from there the sea, according to other people's documents, reached Aruba. And the children and I waited for him in Spain for a year and a half.

Lilian and Leopoldo do not know when they can return to Venezuela. And whether they can return at all. Lilian says that now they are simply open to life and every day try to do something to change the situation in their country. And every day Lilian wants to wake up in the morning, open his eyes and see the city of her dreams outside the Caracas window.