Washington, Feb 16 (IANS): US President Donald Trump has welcomed Lilian Tintori, the wife of imprisoned Venezuelan opposition figure Leopoldo Lopez, to the White House and called for her husband's release.

"Venezuela should allow Leopoldo Lopez, a political prisoner and husband of @liliantintori (just met with @marcorubio), out of prison immediately," Trump said in a tweet after the meeting on Wednesday, also posting a photograph of himself with Tintori in the Oval Office, Efe news reported.

Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Senate Marco Rubio are also seen in the photo.

Tintori travelled to Washington to present to the Senate her view of the Venezuelan crisis after a group of 34 legislators from both parties last week urged Trump to sanction the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro.

Lopez is serving an almost-14-year sentence in the Ramo Verde military prison for having incited anti-government demonstrations in Venezuela that resulted in more than 40 deaths in 2014.