Entorno Inteligente, Thursday February 5 2015 The South African ambassador to Venezuela has refuted claims that a Canadian MP representing the leader of violent anti-government protests was once late president Nelson Mandela's lawyer. The claim had been made by the Venezuelan Voluntad Popular (Popular Will) party, ahead of Canadian Liberal Party MP Irwin Cotler's forthcoming visit to the South American nation.  Popular Will national political coordinator Carlos Vecchio, who is currently a fugitive from Venezuelan justice in Canada on similar charges, said  Mr Cotler  said Mr Cotler had joined the legal defence team of  Voluntad Popular founder and national coordinator Leopoldo López, w hich will soon visit Venezuela. Mr Lopez is currently in Ramo Verde prison while  being tried on charges of arson, terrorism and murder in relation to the violent  Guarimba  protests aimed at overthrowing the elected government last year. “Irwin Cotler was not Nelson Ma