Leopoldo López sounds like an interesting man and I think it is fine that The Daily featured a story on him, but I find the sentimentalism and romanticism that infuses this telling to be misplaced and dangerous. Every political figure who is outside of power can easily appear to have the moral high road or to be immune to the corruptive forces of their nation's political scene. Jailed dissidents in particular gain this sheen, and in many cases they surely would make good leaders. But to join in the mythologization and beatification of such a figure is beyond the pale of level-headed reporting. It is a form of pandering, with an exotic South American twist. If only our favorite dissidents were freed and took charge, all would be well for the liberal world! This is simplistic to the point of caricature and is less an inversion of the dictatorial paradigm than a reflection of it.
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