President of the European Parliament Roberta Mecola presented the 2024 Sakharov Prize to Venezuelan oppositionists Edmundo González Urrutia and Maria Corina Machado at a ceremony in Strasbourg on Tuesday. UNN reports this with reference to the press service of the European Parliament.
Opening the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, President Metzola said: "In their quest for justice, democracy and the rule of law, Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado have fearlessly defended the values that millions of Venezuelans and the European Parliament hold dear. This award is not only a recognition but also a reminder that the fight for freedom is never in vain. The future of Venezuela belongs to its people, and the European Parliament is proud to stand by them.
The leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Edmundo González, accepted the award in person, while his associate Maria Machado, who is hiding in Venezuela, participated in the ceremony via video link. Her daughter Ana Corina Sosa accepted the award on her behalf.
Speaking to members of the European Parliament, González said: "Sooner or later, our country will turn in the direction determined by our people. The brutality and violence these days is only a clumsy attempt to postpone what is inevitable.
Recall
Despite international criticism and accusations of fraud by the opposition, Nicolas Maduro, a leftist politician who has been in power since 2013, was declared the winner of the July 28 election with 52% of the vote by the Venezuelan authorities.
However, according to the opposition, their presidential candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, who has since sought asylum in Spain, received more than 60% of the vote.
Maria Machado was elected as the opposition candidate for the Venezuelan presidency from the United Democratic Platform in 2023, but she was disqualified by the government-controlled National Electoral Council.
In a resolution adopted on September 19, 2024, the European Parliament recognized González as the legitimate and democratically elected president of Venezuela and Maria Machado as the leader of the country's democratic forces. MEPs also stated that the reports of international election observation missions clearly showed that the presidential election in Venezuela did not meet international standards of election integrity.