US, others condemn Venezuela’s detention of opposition figures

By Steve Almasy, Flora Charner and Jason Hanna, CNN
Updated 10:12 PM EDT, Tue August 1, 2017

Story highlights

Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma seized after opposing controversial election

NEW: Trump says Maduro personally responsible for their safety

(CNN) —  

The international community condemned the detention of two political opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday, with the White House saying it holds Maduro personally responsible for their safety.

“The United States condemns the actions of the Maduro dictatorship” in taking Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma from their homes, US President Donald Trump said in a statement. “The United States holds Maduro … personally responsible for the health and safety of Mr. Lopez, Mr. Ledezma, and any others seized.”

Both men had been under house arrest for prior convictions. The house arrests were revoked, the Venezuelan Supreme Court said, because intelligence officials claimed they were planning to flee in the aftermath of Sunday’s controversial elections.

The head of the Organization of American States also blasted Maduro’s recent actions, saying he was trying to “silence and subdue an entire people.”

OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro called for new parliamentary elections and accused Maduro’s government of killings and repression.

Members of the Venezuelan community in Mexico stage a protest against the Venezuelan government on the eve of the opening of 47th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS or OEA in Spanish), outside the international airport in Cancun, Mexico on June 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PEDRO PARDO (Photo credit should read PEDRO PARDO/AFP/Getty Images)
Members of the Venezuelan community in Mexico stage a protest against the Venezuelan government on the eve of the opening of 47th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS or OEA in Spanish), outside the international airport in Cancun, Mexico on June 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PEDRO PARDO (Photo credit should read PEDRO PARDO/AFP/Getty Images)
PHOTO: PEDRO PARDO/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Related Article Venezuela's political crisis explained

“For the corrupt, the murderers and the torturers, the international community must reply with the greatest severity,” he said in a news release.

The detentions come after Venezuelans elected members of a new legislative body in a Sunday vote called for by Maduro and boycotted by the opposition. Virtually all of the new body’s members are supporters of the leftist leader.

Critics in Venezuela and outside the restive nation have called the vote a sham.

Some nations have slapped new sanctions on Venezuela or some of its citizens.

The new body – called the Constituent Assembly – will have the power to rewrite the Venezuelan Constitution, which Maduro desires, and is expected to replace the previous legislative body, where the opposition has a majority. The new body will establish a “truth commission” to prosecute political opponents, one of Maduro’s top officials said.

Critics say they fear the moves will erase any last traces of democracy in the country. The election came after months of sometimes deadly anti-regime protests and an economic crisis that led many to leave Venezuela in search of easier access to food and medicine.

Early morning roundup

Families of the two held opposition leaders distributed separate videos purportedly showing armed men removing the politicians from their homes in the dark of early Tuesday.

Video posted online by Lopez’s family shows him being driven away in a car with markings of Venezuela’s intelligence service SEBIN.

A different kind of video was posted to the Twitter account of Lopez’s wife, one that appears to be a prescient statement about what would happen to him.

In the 6 1/2-minute video reportedly recorded July 17, Lopez sits by his wife and says those who detained him in 2014 could potentially send him back to prison.

“If you are watching this video, then this is precisely what happened, because they came and they unjustly took me as prisoner,” he says.

Lopez urges his supporters to continue to work for political change.

“It is worth fighting for Venezuela. Let us not falter in our fight. Let us not give up,” he says, adding that he has more motivation because his wife is pregnant.

In another video, a man apparently pulls Ledezma, a former Caracas mayor, out a door early Tuesday.

“He was in pajamas,” Ledezma’s daughter, Oriette, said in a video statement. “They have kidnapped him once again. We hold the regime responsible for his life and physical integrity.”

Who are Lopez and Ledezma?

The Supreme Court said that Lopez and Ledezma had been prohibited from carrying out political actions during their house arrests and that the latter had been forbidden from making declarations to any media.

Both had made public statements in recent days against Sunday’s vote.

Lopez, a former mayor of a Caracas district, was put under house arrest last month, having served the previous couple of years in prison.

Long a vocal opponent of the socialists in power, Lopez was detained in 2014 after at least three people were killed during an anti-government protest in the capital – violence that authorities blamed on him. His detention was a rallying cry for anti-regime demonstrators.

Lopez was sentenced in 2015 to nearly 14 years in prison, but he was released to house arrest in July.

In a 15-minute video posted online last week, Lopez urged Venezuelans to keep up anti-regime protests. He called Maduro and his supporters a “very clear threat,” saying their goal is to undermine democracy and achieve the “absolute submission of the Venezuelan people.”

Leopoldo Lopez greets supporters outside his Caracas home July 8 after his release to house arrest.
Leopoldo Lopez greets supporters outside his Caracas home July 8 after his release to house arrest.
PHOTO: Fernando Llano/AP

He was rounded up early Tuesday, his wife, Lilian Tintori, said on social media. Tintori posted video that she says shows her husband being taken away.

“They just took Leopoldo from the house. … Maduro is responsible if something happens to him,” Tintori tweeted.

Lopez, a descendent of South American liberator Simon Bólívar and Venezuela’s first president, Cristóbal Mendoza, was banned in 2008 from running for office on accusations of corruption. An international human rights court cleared him in 2011, but the Supreme Court upheld the ban.

Ledezma, known throughout Venezuela for his vocal opposition, was elected Caracas mayor in 2008. He was arrested in February 2015 after Maduro accused him of involvement in a plot to overthrow the government.

Antonio Ledezma, here as the Caracas mayor in 2009, has been known for his opposition to the regime.
Antonio Ledezma, here as the Caracas mayor in 2009, has been known for his opposition to the regime.
PHOTO: EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images

In a video posted online Monday, Ledezma said Sunday’s vote “was fraud, plain and simple.”

“We know that our public institutions have become instruments of a totalitarian regime, of a tyranny, which decided to continue damaging and destroying our rights,” Ledezma said.

His wife, Mitzy Capriles, said her husband was taken to the Ramo Verde Prison. Speaking Tuesday from Madrid, Spain, Capriles said she is “deeply anguished” by her husband’s detention and said his attorneys won’t be able to speak to him until later Tuesday night.

CNN is unable to confirm the location of either opposition figure.

Attorney general: ‘The end of freedom of expression’

Venezuela’s attorney general lambasted the election.

“This is the end of freedom of expression, and this freedom has been battered for some time now,” Attorney General Luisa Ortega said.

For months, Venezuela has struggled with two interconnected crises: a collapsing economy and a standoff between Maduro and the opposition.

In December 2015, opposition politicians won a majority of seats in the National Assembly. It seemed like a potential turning point – the assembly could vote to impeach Maduro, who had verbally clashed with the opposition since he came to power in 2013.

But before lawmakers were sworn into office, Maduro stacked the Supreme Court with his supporters to block any impeachment attempts.

A costumed demonstrator in Caracas, Venezuela, protests the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday, August 6. Unrest continued to sweep through the country after a new legislative assembly was inaugurated following a controversial election on July 30. The new assembly has wide-ranging powers and is expected to rewrite the Venezuelan constitution at Maduro
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A costumed demonstrator in Caracas, Venezuela, protests the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday, August 6. Unrest continued to sweep through the country after a new legislative assembly was inaugurated following a controversial election on July 30. The new assembly has wide-ranging powers and is expected to rewrite the Venezuelan constitution at Maduro's behest. Opposition supporters, who see the vote as a power grab and an erosion of democracy, boycotted and staged demonstrations against the vote.
PHOTO: Wil Riera/AP
Soldiers stop a vehicle and detain its passengers on the Paramacay military base in Valencia, Venezuela, on August 6. According to authorities, two people were killed when an anti-government paramilitary attack was quelled at the base.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Soldiers stop a vehicle and detain its passengers on the Paramacay military base in Valencia, Venezuela, on August 6. According to authorities, two people were killed when an anti-government paramilitary attack was quelled at the base.
PHOTO: Juan Carlos Hernandez/AP
Anti-government activists stand near a flaming barricade in Valencia on August 6.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Anti-government activists stand near a flaming barricade in Valencia on August 6.
PHOTO: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
A man is arrested in Valencia during clashes between anti-government activists and the National Guard on August 6.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A man is arrested in Valencia during clashes between anti-government activists and the National Guard on August 6.
PHOTO: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
Members of the Venezuelan armed forces fly over Valencia in a helicopter while citizens demonstrate in support of a group that staged a paramilitary uprising at the Paramacay military base on August 6.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Members of the Venezuelan armed forces fly over Valencia in a helicopter while citizens demonstrate in support of a group that staged a paramilitary uprising at the Paramacay military base on August 6.
PHOTO: STR/EFE/EPA
Venezuela
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Venezuela's Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz, third from left, is surrounded by employees of the General Prosecutor's office as she is barred by security forces from entering her office in Caracas on Saturday, August 5.
PHOTO: Wil Riera/AP
Diosdado Cabello, a member of Venezuela
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Diosdado Cabello, a member of Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly, holds an image of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez as delegates gather for a group photo following their swearing-in ceremony on Friday, August 4.
PHOTO: Ariana Cubillos/AP
Opposition activists protest against the newly inaugurated National Constituent Assembly on August 4.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Opposition activists protest against the newly inaugurated National Constituent Assembly on August 4.
PHOTO: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
A woman in Caracas attends a vigil Monday, July 31, for anti-government activists who have died in the country
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A woman in Caracas attends a vigil Monday, July 31, for anti-government activists who have died in the country's recent unrest. More than 120 people have been killed in Venezuela since early April, according to the attorney general's office.
PHOTO: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
Opposition lawmaker Juan Requesens addresses a rally in Caracas on July 31. Two other leading opposition figures, Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma, were rounded up from their homes, according to their families.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Opposition lawmaker Juan Requesens addresses a rally in Caracas on July 31. Two other leading opposition figures, Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma, were rounded up from their homes, according to their families.
PHOTO: MIGUEL GUTIERREZ/Newscom/EFE
Maduro celebrates the results of a national vote on Sunday, July 30. His opponents boycotted the election and demonstrated against it for weeks, saying he orchestrated it to get around the existing National Assembly, which the opposition has controlled since 2015. Maduro has argued that the Constituent Assembly will help bring peace to a polarized country, with all branches of the government falling under the political movement founded by his late mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Maduro celebrates the results of a national vote on Sunday, July 30. His opponents boycotted the election and demonstrated against it for weeks, saying he orchestrated it to get around the existing National Assembly, which the opposition has controlled since 2015. Maduro has argued that the Constituent Assembly will help bring peace to a polarized country, with all branches of the government falling under the political movement founded by his late mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
PHOTO: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
Members of Venezuela
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Members of Venezuela's national police are caught in an explosion as they ride motorcycles near Altamira Square in Caracas on July 30. Venezuela has seen widespread unrest since March 29, when the Supreme Court dissolved Parliament and transferred all legislative powers to itself. The decision was later reversed, but protests have continued across the country, which is also in the midst of an economic crisis.
PHOTO: MIGUEL GUTIERREZ/EFE/EPA
A wounded anti-government demonstrator is helped by medics during clashes with police in Caracas on July 30.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A wounded anti-government demonstrator is helped by medics during clashes with police in Caracas on July 30.
PHOTO: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
A demonstrator shouts slogans through a traffic cone during an anti-government protest in Caracas on July 30.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A demonstrator shouts slogans through a traffic cone during an anti-government protest in Caracas on July 30.
PHOTO: Carlos Becerra/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A protester wounded by a pellet gun receives attention July 30 during a demonstration against the vote for a Constituent Assembly.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A protester wounded by a pellet gun receives attention July 30 during a demonstration against the vote for a Constituent Assembly.
PHOTO: CRISTIAN HERNANDEZ/EFE/EPA
A member of the National Guard fires at protesters during clashes in Caracas on Friday, July 28.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A member of the National Guard fires at protesters during clashes in Caracas on Friday, July 28.
PHOTO: Carlos Becerra/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
A demonstrator dressed as Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar is silhouetted against a national flag in Caracas on Monday, July 24.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A demonstrator dressed as Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar is silhouetted against a national flag in Caracas on Monday, July 24.
PHOTO: Fernando Llano/AP
Venezuelan police Officer Oscar Perez joins in an anti-government protest in Caracas on Thursday, July 13. Perez allegedly piloted a stolen police helicopter used to attack the Venezuelan Supreme Court with grenades on June 27.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Venezuelan police Officer Oscar Perez joins in an anti-government protest in Caracas on Thursday, July 13. Perez allegedly piloted a stolen police helicopter used to attack the Venezuelan Supreme Court with grenades on June 27.
PHOTO: INAKI ZUGASTI/AFP/Getty Images
Venezuelan lawmakers Luis Stefanelli, left, and Jose Regnault appear stunned in a corridor of the National Assembly after a clash with demonstrators in Caracas on Wednesday, July 5. Supporters of Maduro stormed the building and attacked opposition lawmakers, witnesses said. At least seven legislative employees and five lawmakers were injured, according to National Assembly President Julio Borges. Journalists said they were also assaulted.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Venezuelan lawmakers Luis Stefanelli, left, and Jose Regnault appear stunned in a corridor of the National Assembly after a clash with demonstrators in Caracas on Wednesday, July 5. Supporters of Maduro stormed the building and attacked opposition lawmakers, witnesses said. At least seven legislative employees and five lawmakers were injured, according to National Assembly President Julio Borges. Journalists said they were also assaulted.
PHOTO: MIGUEL GUTIERREZ/EPA
National Guard members clash with deputies of the National Assembly in the Parliament
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
National Guard members clash with deputies of the National Assembly in the Parliament's courtyard in Caracas on Tuesday, June 27.
PHOTO: STRINGER/EFE/EPA
A boy runs under a national flag during a June 27 protest in Caracas.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A boy runs under a national flag during a June 27 protest in Caracas.
PHOTO: JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images
Protesters tear down a fence at the La Carlota airbase outside Caracas on Friday, June 23. A soldier shot a demonstrator through the fence at the base on the previous day, killing him.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Protesters tear down a fence at the La Carlota airbase outside Caracas on Friday, June 23. A soldier shot a demonstrator through the fence at the base on the previous day, killing him.
PHOTO: Ariana Cubillos/AP
Photos: Rohingya refugees flee Myanmar
Protester David Jose Vallenilla is shot through a fence by a member of the National Guard near a military base in Caracas on Thursday, June 22. Vallenilla later died in the hospital after suffering three gunshot wounds to the chest.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Protester David Jose Vallenilla is shot through a fence by a member of the National Guard near a military base in Caracas on Thursday, June 22. Vallenilla later died in the hospital after suffering three gunshot wounds to the chest.
PHOTO: Miguel Gutiérrez/Newscom/EFE/Newscom
Maduro holds up a copy of the Venezuelan constitution during a news conference at the presidential palace in Caracas on June 22. Maduro has called for changes to the constitution amid the unrest.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Maduro holds up a copy of the Venezuelan constitution during a news conference at the presidential palace in Caracas on June 22. Maduro has called for changes to the constitution amid the unrest.
PHOTO: FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images
A protester hides behind a barrier in Caracas on June 22.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A protester hides behind a barrier in Caracas on June 22.
PHOTO: MIGUEL GUTIERREZ/EFE/EPA
An opposition activist displays bullet shells during an anti-government demonstration on Monday, June 19.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
An opposition activist displays bullet shells during an anti-government demonstration on Monday, June 19.
PHOTO: FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images
People flee during a clash between opposition demonstrators and riot police in Caracas on June 19.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
People flee during a clash between opposition demonstrators and riot police in Caracas on June 19.
PHOTO: FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images
Opposition activists aim projectiles toward riot police during a demonstration on June 19.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Opposition activists aim projectiles toward riot police during a demonstration on June 19.
PHOTO: FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images
Demonstrators stand in front of a police vehicle on June 19.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Demonstrators stand in front of a police vehicle on June 19.
PHOTO: JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images
A street in eastern Caracas is painted with the names of people killed during more than two months of protests.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A street in eastern Caracas is painted with the names of people killed during more than two months of protests.
PHOTO: LUIS ROBAYO/AFP/Getty Images
During a "Grandparents
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
During a "Grandparents' March" in Caracas, a man is blocked by police from reaching the Government Ombudsman's Office on Friday, May 12.
PHOTO: Ariana Cubillos/AP
Opposition activists scuffle with riot police in Caracas on May 12.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Opposition activists scuffle with riot police in Caracas on May 12.
PHOTO: JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images
Thousands of Venezuelan protesters march on a Caracas highway on Wednesday, May 10.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Thousands of Venezuelan protesters march on a Caracas highway on Wednesday, May 10.
PHOTO: FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images
Opposition activists clash with riot police in Caracas on Monday, May 8.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Opposition activists clash with riot police in Caracas on Monday, May 8.
PHOTO: FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
An armored National Guard vehicle runs over a protester in Caracas on Wednesday, May 3. The protester, 22-year-old Pedro Michell Yaminne, survived, his mother told CNN. Interior and justice minister Nestor Reverol told reporters that the "lamentable" incident was under investigation. He said that moments before Yaminne was run over, demonstrators hurled a Molotov cocktail at the armored vehicle, opened the side door and "brutally assaulted" the driver.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
An armored National Guard vehicle runs over a protester in Caracas on Wednesday, May 3. The protester, 22-year-old Pedro Michell Yaminne, survived, his mother told CNN. Interior and justice minister Nestor Reverol told reporters that the "lamentable" incident was under investigation. He said that moments before Yaminne was run over, demonstrators hurled a Molotov cocktail at the armored vehicle, opened the side door and "brutally assaulted" the driver.
PHOTO: FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images
A demonstrator catches fire during protests in Caracas on May 3. It happened as protesters clashed with police and the gas tank of a police motorcycle exploded. Other photos from the scene showed the man being attended for burns to his body.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A demonstrator catches fire during protests in Caracas on May 3. It happened as protesters clashed with police and the gas tank of a police motorcycle exploded. Other photos from the scene showed the man being attended for burns to his body.
PHOTO: JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images
A demonstrator stands in front of an armored vehicle during protests in Caracas on Wednesday, April 19.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A demonstrator stands in front of an armored vehicle during protests in Caracas on Wednesday, April 19.
PHOTO: JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles reacts to tear gas during a protest on April 19.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles reacts to tear gas during a protest on April 19.
PHOTO: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
Riot police clash with demonstrators while tear gas fills the air in Caracas on April 19.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Riot police clash with demonstrators while tear gas fills the air in Caracas on April 19.
PHOTO: JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images
Rescue workers tend to a demonstrator hit by a tear gas canister during anti-government protests on April 19.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Rescue workers tend to a demonstrator hit by a tear gas canister during anti-government protests on April 19.
PHOTO: Fernando Llano/AP
A demonstrator reacts during a march in Caracas on Saturday, April 15.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A demonstrator reacts during a march in Caracas on Saturday, April 15.
PHOTO: JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images
A protester suffering from the effects of tear gas is carried away on Thursday, April 13.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
A protester suffering from the effects of tear gas is carried away on Thursday, April 13.
PHOTO: Fernando Llano/AP
Clouds of tear gas spread across a highway in Caracas during clashes on Monday, April 10.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Clouds of tear gas spread across a highway in Caracas during clashes on Monday, April 10.
PHOTO: Fernando Llano/AP
Demonstrators help a journalist whose leg was injured while covering clashes in Caracas on April 10.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Demonstrators help a journalist whose leg was injured while covering clashes in Caracas on April 10.
PHOTO: Ariana Cubillos/AP
Thousands of demonstrators protest against Maduro in Caracas on Saturday, April 8.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Thousands of demonstrators protest against Maduro in Caracas on Saturday, April 8.
PHOTO: CARLOS BECERRA/AFP/Getty Images
Venezuelan police line up before clashing with opposition activists on Thursday, April 6.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Venezuelan police line up before clashing with opposition activists on Thursday, April 6.
PHOTO: JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images
Demonstrators fight with national police officers in Caracas on Tuesday, April 4.
Photos: Crisis in Venezuela
Demonstrators fight with national police officers in Caracas on Tuesday, April 4.
PHOTO: Fernando Llano/AP

The Supreme Court briefly attempted to dissolve the National Assembly in March, sparking a wave of nearly daily protests. More than 120 people have been killed in the ongoing unrest.

Luis E. Rondón, one of five directors of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, voiced reservations at a news conference about the validity of Sunday’s vote.

Normal electoral controls had been relaxed and in some cases eliminated in Sunday’s poll, he said. Rondón is the sole director of the electoral council who isn’t a supporter of Maduro.

Sanctions

The US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on Maduro following the vote, calling the election illegitimate and saying that Maduro was disregarding the will of his people. All of the President’s assets subject to US jurisdiction were to be frozen. All US citizens are barred from dealing with him, according to the department.

In a nonbinding referendum organized by the opposition in mid-July, an overwhelming majority of voters rejected the planned constituent assembly. About 7 million Venezuelans voted in that referendum – 37% of the electorate.

But Maduro’s government called the referendum illegal.

Venezuela’s national election committee said more than 8 million people cast votes Sunday. The opposition disputes that, and says the number that voted in the July 16 referendum was higher.

CNN’s Flora Charner reported from Caracas, while Steve Almasy and Jason Hanna wrote from Atlanta. CNN’s Euan McKirdy, Madison Park, Natalie Gallón, Marilia Brocchetto and Ana Melgar, and CNNMoney’s Patrick Gillespie contributed to this report.