Lilian Tintori | |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | (1978-05-05)5 May 1978 (age 46) Caracas,Venezuela |
| Spouse | Leopoldo López Mendoza |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Caracas, Venezuela |
| Alma mater | Andrés Bello Catholic University |
| Profession | Activist |
Lilian Adriana Tintori Parra (born 5 May 1978) is aVenezuelan activist, athlete, and television and radio host. Tintori is married toLeopoldo López, a Venezuelan politician sentenced in 2015 to nearly 14 years in prison for inciting violence duringstreet protests the year before.[1] She has also led groups who have opposed the government of Venezuelan PresidentNicolás Maduro.[2]
Tintori was born inCaracas, Venezuela on May 5, 1978. Her mother is Venezuelan and her father is of Italian descent. She studied at Merici Academy. She earned a bachelor's degree in preschool education with a minor in political communications from theAndrés Bello Catholic University.
In 2001, Tintori was part of the reality TV ShowRobinson: La Gran Aventura. The show was a big success in Venezuela. Even though Tintori did not win, this experience helped her build a career in the entertainment industry. Tintori was a television host forRCTV andTeleven, a former radio personality forLa Mega,Hot 94 and Ateneo 100.7. Eventually, Tintori's face was seen on billboards in Venezuela.
Tintori was Venezuela's 2003 Kitesurfing National Champion.[3]
Following the arrest of her husband during the2014 Venezuelan protests, Tintori became a face of Venezuela's opposition movement.[4] In an op-ed forThe Washington Post, she denied interest in politics while tellingThe Atlantic that "Leopoldo is the politician ... I’m a human-rights activist, a Venezuelan, a mother, and a victim myself, and I’m very close to the victims of my country".[4] She traveled internationally to meet with individuals such as United States vice presidentJoe Biden, Spanish prime ministerMariano Rajoy andPope Francis, to seek assistance with the releasing her husband and other political prisoners in Venezuela.[4]
President of Venezuela,Nicolás Maduro sees Tintori as a threat and has called for her work to be "neutralized" and described her as a "terrorist".[4] According to Tintori, Venezuelan authorities often follow her and intimidate her daily.[4] While visiting her husband López in prison, she, as well as her mother-in-law, have been forced to undergo "intimate"strip searches by Venezuelan authorities, with Tintori's children present at times.[5][6]
On 29 August 2017, the scientific police of Venezuela (CICPC) stated that they found 200 millionbolívares in cash–around 10,000USD at that time– split in four wooden boxes in a car belonging to Tintori.[7][8] Tintori and two vicepresindents of the bankBOD were prohibited from leaving the country during the investigation. Tintori assured that the money was for personal use (to pay a doctor for her mother) and expressed that the Venezuelan government was attempting to prevent her from going on an international tour to meet with European leaders.[9] On 2 September 2017, she was prevented from leaving for Europe, prompting French PresidentEmmanuel Macron to tweet his support.[10]
Tintori, on June 14, 2017, was awarded the 2017 Palabra Prize.
On 19 April 2007, Tintori married Leopoldo López.[11] They have three children: Manuela Rafaela, born in 2009;[12] Leopoldo Santiago, born in 2013;[13] and Federica Antonieta, born in 2018.[14]
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