<br/>The United States today repeated its call for Venezuela to release some hundred political prisoners, including a jailed opposition leader whose liberation Donald Trump urged earlier this week, inflaming tensions between the two countries.<br/><br/> The State Department's call came days after the Venezuelan Supreme Court upheld the punishment of Leopoldo Lopez, who is serving a nearly 14-year sentence on charges of inciting unrest at anti-government protests in 2014. The State Department also urged Venezuela to release opposition leaders Antonio Ledezma and Daniel Ceballos, along with many other students, activists, journalists, and peaceful protestors.<br/><br/>The ruling on Lopez's appeal, which was filed in July, came a day after Trump received Lopez's wife Lilian Tintori at the White House and posted a tweet calling for the prisoner's release. Lopez is the founder of Popular Will, one of the most hardline parties opposing President Nicolas Maduro. <br/>'<br/>