U.S.-Venezuela rapprochement rocked by Lopez sentence [View all]

[Zorro]

Venezuela accused the United States on Friday of jeopardizing a nascent rapprochement between the two ideological foes with "insolent" criticism of a 14-year jail sentence handed to opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.

Coming on top of the outrage of Lopez's family and supporters following his conviction late on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington was "deeply troubled" as he called the charges "illegitimate" and urged the release of all jailed government opponents.

"With its insolent meddling, the United States has kicked the timid steps achieved towards regularizing bilateral relations," Venezuela's foreign minister, Delcy Rodriguez, said via Twitter, accusing Kerry of "aggressions" and "offenses."

After more than a decade of acrimonious ties and without respective ambassadors, Washington and Caracas this year began a cautious rapprochement by trying to cooperate on issues from Colombian peace talks to Haitian democracy.

http://news.yahoo.com/lopez-sentence-outraged-venezuela-opposition-urges-december-vote-154848240.html