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Jailed Venezuelan leader starts hunger strike, urges protest

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AP Caracas
Jailed Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez is launching a hunger strike and calling for a mass anti-government protest next week in a new video leaked.

Lopez has been held in a military prison for more than a year on charges related to his role in leading protests against the South American country's socialist administration last year.

In the video, Lopez repeats his accusations that the administration is corrupt and incompetent, and he calls for "massive" demonstrations next Saturday.

The video comes after Venezuela's currency lost a quarter of its value over the last week.

Yesterday, news broke that fellow opposition leader Daniel Ceballos was transferred from the military prison where Lopez is held to a public jail.

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First Published: May 24 2015 | 10:07 AM IST

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