Sakharov Freedom Prize Awarded To Venezuela's Opposition Leaders
- 25.10.2024, 10:23
On the initiative of the largest party in the European Parliament.
On Thursday, October 24, the European Parliament awarded the annual Andrei Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Venezuelan opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez for ‘representing the people of Venezuela in their struggle to restore freedom and democracy.’ This was reported by Reuters and AFP, citing the European Parliament.
Venezuela held presidential elections in July 2024, and the opposition published the results of the vote count, according to which Gonzalez won a convincing victory. However, the national electoral council declared Nicolas Maduro the winner.
In early August, the Venezuelan prosecutor's office opened an investigation against 75-year-old Edmundo Gonzalez and 56-year-old Maria Corina Machado on charges of ‘usurpation of functions, dissemination of false information, calls for disobedience of laws, incitement to rebellion, and criminal conspiracy.’ This happened immediately after the opposition submitted all the voting protocols. Since then, Maria Corina Machado has been forced to hide in Venezuela. Edmundo Gonzalez was able to leave the country and travelled to Spain, fearing for his life.
US and EU lawmakers have called on Maduro to disclose the election results.
‘Edmundo and Maria continue to fight for a free, fair and peaceful transfer of power and fearlessly uphold the values that millions of Venezuelans and this Parliament hold so dear: justice, democracy and the rule of law,’ European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said during the announcement of the laureates.
‘The European Parliament supports the Venezuelan people, Maria and Edmundo in their struggle for a democratic future for their country. We are convinced that Venezuela and democracy will win in the end,’ she added.
The Venezuelans were nominated by the right-wing European People's Party, the largest political force in the European Parliament.
The Sakharov Prize is awarded to both individuals and organisations defending human rights and democracy.
Last year, Parliament awarded the prize to Iranian Mahsa Amini, who died in a police station in September 2022, and to the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement in Iran.
In 2022, the winner of the Sakharov Prize was the Ukrainian people. The year before, the European Parliament awarded the prize to Russian politician Alexei Navalny.
The Andrei Sakharov Freedom Prize is a human rights prize established in 1980 by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee with the support of Andrei Sakharov. The aim of the prize is to help people persecuted because of their beliefs or those in prison.