Lilian Tintori
| Lilian Tintori | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
5 May 1978 Caracas, Venezuela |
| Spouse(s) | Leopoldo López Mendoza |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Caracas, Venezuela |
| Alma mater | Andrés Bello Catholic University |
Lilian Adriana Tintori Parra (born 5 May 1978) is a Venezuelan athlete, television and radio host, human rights activist and the wife of Leopoldo López, a politician sentenced in 2015 to nearly 14 years in prison for "inciting violence" during street protests the year before. She has also led groups who have opposed the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Tintori was born in Caracas, Venezuela on May 5, 1978. Her mother is Venezuelan and her father from Argentina. She earned a Bachelor's degree in preschool education with a minor in political communications from the Andrés Bello Catholic University.
In 2001, Tintori was part of the reality TV Show Robinson: 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 for RCTV and Televen, a former radio personality for La Mega, Hot 94 and Ateneo 100.7. Eventually, Tintori's face was seen on billboards in Venezuela. The Atlantic described her as "a celebrity in her home country, famed for her looks and charisma".
Tintori was Venezuela's 2003 Kitesurfing National Champion and is the founder of the Porkite Foundation, which works to provide kitesurfing gear to unprivileged kitesurfers. Tintori is also an ambassador for the Socieven Association, which works to raise awareness of the plight of the deaf and blind. She also works with the BFC Foundation for its violence against women campaign and with the Young Foundation for Human Rights.
Following the arrest of her husband during the 2014 Venezuelan protests, Tintori became a face of Venezuela's democracy movement. In an op-ed for The Washington Post, she denied interest in politics while telling The 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". She traveled internationally to meet with individuals such as United States vice president Joe Biden, Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy and Pope Francis, to seek assistance with the releasing her husband and other political prisoners in Venezuela.
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