Roberta Metzola, President of the European Parliament, announced the announcement of the Sakharov Prize, the EU’s highest honor for human rights. “Winners of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
María Corina and Edmundo González represent the Venezuelan people fighting to restore freedom and democracy.”
María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia, the Venezuelan opposition leader and candidate in the July presidential election, respectively. “They continued to fight for a free, fair and peaceful transition of power and fearlessly defended the values dear to millions of Venezuelans and to this Parliament: justice, democracy and the rule of law.”Metzola said this Thursday at the Hemicycle in Strasbourg.
“The European Parliament stands with the Venezuelan people and Maria and Edmundo in their fight for the democratic future of their country”He added. “We firmly believe that Venezuela and democracy will prevail in the end”.
In a post on social network X, Roberta Metsola also left a message of hope for the country’s democratic future: “Venezuela will be free”He wrote.
In his first reaction to the announcement, Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González thanked Europe for its “deep solidarity” with the Venezuelan people.
“Above all, this award embodies the deep solidarity of the people of Europe with the people of Venezuela and their struggle to restore democracy”An opponent of Nicolas Maduro, who has been in exile in Spain since September 8, wrote in a post on the X social network. “The fight never stops”He finished.
Respected and grateful!
Above all, this award embodies the deep solidarity of the cities of Europe with the Venezuelan city and their struggle to restore democracy.
So I want to thank the European Parliament for giving us this… pic.twitter.com/8x3uXkb7AH
— Edmundo Gonzalez (@EdmundoGU) October 24, 2024
María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia protested the cover-up of the official results of the presidential elections in Venezuela and contested the victory attributed to current Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Pursuant to the arrest warrant, Edmundo Gonzalez fled the country and went into exile in Madrid in September.
The selection of two opposition figures for Nicolas Maduro’s Venezuelan regime for the 2024 Sakharov Prize was made by the Portuguese and Spanish representatives of the European People’s Party (PPE) and then presented as a party proposal.
MEPs from the European People’s Party delegation, which includes Sebastião Bugalho, have written to the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, José Borrell, urging him to recognize Edmundo González as the legitimate elected president of Venezuela. The letter was signed by four Portuguese MEPs, including Sebastião Bugalho, who explained to Antena 1 the purpose of the now known letter.
Created in 1988, the Sakharov Prize aims to recognize the work of people and organizations in protecting human rights and democracy. Last year, the European Parliament awarded the prize to Mahza Amini, an Iranian teenager who died in police custody, and to the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran.
This year’s prize will be awarded in December to Corina Machado and Gonzalez Urrutia..
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