By Thea Pieridou
Press Officer of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus
The European Parliament awards the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia from Venezuela. María Corina Machado was chosen as the opposition candidate for the 2023 Venezuelan presidential election on behalf of the "Democratic Unity Platform" but was later barred by the regime-controlled National Electoral Council. Edmundo González Urrutia, a diplomat and politician who succeeded her as the candidate for the "Democratic Unity Platform," denounced the Venezuelan government’s failure to release official presidential election results and challenged Nicolás Maduro’s claimed victory. Mr. González Urrutia left the country in September following the issuance of an arrest warrant.
In a resolution passed on September 19, 2024, the European Parliament emphasized that international election observation missions made it clear that the Venezuelan presidential elections did not meet international standards of integrity. In this context, it recognized Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate and democratically elected president of the country and María Corina Machado as the leader of democratic forces.
According to the Venezuelan government, 2,400 people were arrested during post-election protests, while NGOs reported the deaths of 24 people. María Corina Machado remains in hiding, while Edmundo González Urrutia took refuge in Spain, which granted him political asylum on September 7.
In the same resolution, the European Parliament called on the EU to extend sanctions against the Venezuelan regime and to impose targeted sanctions through the EU’s global human rights sanctions regime against Nicolás Maduro and his inner circle. Before the elections, the European Parliament urged member states to maintain sanctions imposed on the Maduro regime and condemned the unconstitutional decision to bar prominent opposition figures, such as María Corina Machado, from the 2024 elections.
"The 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded to María Corina Machado and the elected President Edmundo González Urrutia for their courageous struggle to restore freedom and democracy in Venezuela. In their efforts toward a fair, free, and peaceful transfer of power, they have bravely upheld the values cherished by millions of Venezuelans and the European Parliament: justice, democracy, and the rule of law. The European Parliament stands by the people of Venezuela and by María Corina Machado and the elected President Edmundo González Urrutia in their fight for their country’s democratic future. This award is theirs," said the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought award ceremony will take place on December 18, 2024, in Strasbourg, during the European Parliament’s plenary session. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded annually by the European Parliament to individuals or organizations in recognition of their work in one of the following fields: defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms, protection of minority rights, respect for international law, advancement of democracy, and defense of the rule of law. Established in 1988, the prize honors individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is named after Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov. The Sakharov Prize is the EU’s highest distinction for human rights and includes a monetary award of 50,000 euros.
