Venezuelan opposition, Palestine, and Elon Musk vying for Sakharov Prize 2024

Brussels – Opposition to the Venezuelan regime, Palestinian reporters and Arab-Israeli women active for peace in the Middle East, and then him, again, Elon Musk, the Tesla and X CEO: these are the nominees for the Sakharov Prize that the European Parliament assigns each year to honour those who distinguish themselves in the promotion and defence of fundamental rights which are beginning to come forward, with nominations submitted by political groups in the European Parliament. The 2024 edition sees the EPP-ECR convergence on the Venezuelan opposition. Both groups support Edmundo González, Venezuela’s presidential candidate and considered the winner of the last elections, with the Populars also adding the name of Maria Corina Machado, the leader of the opposition to Nicolas Maduro’s regime. 

The socialists are pondering “Women Wage Peace” and “Women of the Sun”, the Israeli and Palestinian women’s organizations working for peace, represented by their founders, Yael Admi and Reem Hajajreh. The Patriots for Europe, where Matteo Salvini’s Lega sits, re-proposes Elon Musk, which they had already supported last year. Of the US entrepreneur, they would like to reward, once again, the freedom of speech on his popular and much talked about social networking site, X, considered by admirers as an example of maximum freedom without censorship, and by detractors a container of hate messages and fake news.

The group of the Left, on the other hand, intends to link freedom of thought to freedom of the press, proposing for the Sakharov Prize 2024 Palestinian journalists Abu Akleh, Yasser Murtaja, Hamza Al-Dahdouh, Wael Al-Dahdouh, Plestia Alaqad and Roshdi Sarra.