Words by Leopoldo López before his arrest.

On the 18th of February a prominent opposition figure in Venezuela, Leopoldo López, was arrested for the crime of calling openly endorsing a peaceful student protest against the Venezuelans government. something the government has referred to as "inciting violence" and "disturbing the public peace". Apparently offenses punishable by law.

 He recorded a statement sometime shortly before to be made public in the case of his arrest.

I have decided to translate his words so they can be seen around the world. you can see the subtitled video here:

You may also read or copy my translated text here:

  “If you are watching this video... it is because the Venezuelan state has put out an order for my capture. Perhaps I have already been detained by the states security teams.

Detained unjustly, for dreaming of a better Venezuela.

If your watching this video, it is because yet another abuse has been committed by this government.

Full of lies, of falsehoods, of twisting the facts, and of seeking to manipulate the reality the we Venezuelans are living.

I want to say to all Venezuelans, that I have no regrets in what we have done so far. In what was the call to protest, something we have done for a long time; but that materialized on the 12^th of February, “Day of Youth”; with hundreds of thousands of people on the streets of Venezuela.

Not just in Caracas, where it has commonly happened in the past; but in all Venezuela.

In the capitals, in the towns and villages. Where there may have been ten, fifty, a thousand, ten thousand or even seventy thousand.

The people came out.

The people awoke.

Venezuela now more than ever needs that you, who is watching; that every one of us take on the commitment to want to change.

But that commitment cannot be passive. That commitment must be active.

I invite you sister, I invite you brother; that the most important thing right now in this moment of dificulty for our country

when Venezuelans are submitted to long queues, when Venezuelans are submitted to the expropriation of their salary by the government.

When impunity has become the order of the day and insecurity fills our youth with fear...when there is no future for our youth.

When hospitals are closing, when there is no answer to any problems.

I invite you, every one of you...to understand that the change is in you.

Firstly it is our conscience, to not let ourselves be forced.

To not allow ourselves to be filled with the lies that government transmits via the media that it controls or manipulates, via its mandatory broadcasts. To fill with lies the reality in which we are living.

I invite you to become the media.

I invite you become a meeting point, to become a point of reference to your community or your family.

So we may become organized in what we are to do from this point on.

We must create a movement which is deeply social, that reaches every corner of the country.

Every slum, every village, every city and every town.

Everywhere that there exists men and women committed to a better Venezuela.

We must have the capacity to get organized. We must have the capacity to spread our message.

And to act when the time comes to act.

I appeal now, like I did before the protest on the 12^th of February, to non-violence.

I do that for many reasons: firstly, because violence is the tool of those who are wrong.

On the 12^th of February we saw, how public forces were manipulated to kill innocent Venezuelans and create an atmosphere persecution, which has resulted in this. In my imprisonment or warrant for my capture.

We know what happened.

The videos are there, the photos are there, the statements are there.

We know this government. We know of its long trajectory of violence. But we also know our people.

We also know the vocation for change that our people have. We also know the long battle we have fought, and which has brought us to this place.

We will probably not have means to spread this message through the media. So I ask you to spread it however you can. Let the message reach them, that they can have a better Venezuela.

We must not allow them to defeat us where we must have the most strength: in our hearts. In our convictions.

We must not permit them to crush our hopes.

We must not permit them to crush our determination to change our country.

I want to send a special message to our young men and women.

Young Venezuelan. In you lies your future, which today is stained in black. Which today is stained in hopelessness.

But which can be a much better future, for you and those around you and for your children.

But that depends on you. Depends on your battle. Depends on your vocation and irreverence.

It depends on your determination to see that justice is done. To see that this hopelessness is turned into a collective hope.

We are on the right side of history. Were on the side of justice. Were on the side of truth.

Were on the side of those who want a better Venezuela.

I give my thanks to all those who have lent us their support, I ask you now that that support that you have given us, that you have given me now be translated into a support for our cause.

And our cause has been, still is and now more than ever must be: an exit to this government.

From those who have sequestered the public powers. From those who have stolen from every Venezuelan their international reserves, the peoples money.

From those who have stolen the safety and rights of every citizen.

From those who lie to stay in power. From those who would pretend to make themselves owners of the country by stomping and humiliating the Venezuelan people.

Today more than ever, the exit from this disaster to which we are submitted. The exit from this group of people who have sequestered the future of all Venezuelans, is in your hands.

We will fight.

I will be doing it, from my heart I send greetings. With strength, with faith. Here next to my wife.

Knowing that my daughter Manuela and my son Leopoldo who bears the name of my grandfather and my father, who were also persecuted; looking into my children’s eyes I have found the great strength I need to fight this battle.

In my children’s innocence, who today don’t truly yet understand what is happening in our country; I have found the strength to know that I must fight for a Venezuela that will be when they grow up much better than that which now exists for all children.

As the poet Andres Eloy used to say “the father of one child, is father to all of them”

He who wants a better future for their child, wants a better future for all his children. For all children.

I invite us to fight. To not rest. To maintain our strength. To maintain our irreverence. To maintain our action. To maintain our organization. Our discipline and our conviction.

Sisters, brothers... we are millions, we are on the right side and we will win.

We will achieve change. It depends on all of us. It depends on you, it depends on your brothers and sisters. It depends on Venezuela.

A big hug. Good night.”