CARACAS, Venezuela, April 8 (UPI) -- The mayor of the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, Antonio Ledezma, has been formally charged with conspiracy.
"The attorney of Caracas Jose Luis Orta brought conspiracy charges against the mayor, offences stipulated by the Penal Code and the Organized Crime and Anti-Terror Laws," Venezuela's Attorney General Office said in a statement on Tuesday.
Orta accuses Ledezma, 59, of conspiracy and planning a coup with a number of unnamed individuals.
Ledezma, an opposition leader, was arrested in February by intelligence police for allegedly "conspiring against the peace and stability of the nation."
"They arrested him savagely," Ledezma's wife, Mitzy, said. "They hit him."
Ledezma has been imprisoned at the Ramo Verde military prison, where Leopoldo Lopez, an opponent of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, is also held.
The arrest happened one day after the one-year anniversary of the arrest of Lopez, who was also an opposition leader. Lopez was arrested in the midst of violent anti-government protests. He organized protests calling for better security, an end to food shortages and enhanced freedom of speech for citizens.
Ledezma will continue to be detained in pre-trial custody.
A struggling economy, rising crime and violence between pro-government and opposing forces have plagued the South American country.
Deaths of children and adolescents at the hands of police increased 55 percent from 2013 to 2014.
Danielle Haynes contributed to this report.
