Sakharov Prize 2024 to the Venezuelan opposition, nominated by the EPP, ECR

Brussels – The leader of democratic forces in Venezuela, María Corina Machado, and the President-elect, Edmundo González Urrutia, are the winners of the Sakharov Prize 2024, with which the European Union recognizes the fundamental contribution to human rights.

The ECR and the EPP nominated the two for their commitment to democracy in Venezuela. Urrutia “represents all Venezuelans, in and out of the country, who are fighting to restore freedom and democracy in the face of injustice,” said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, announcing the victory. The two leaders “have fearlessly upheld values that millions of Venezuelans and the European Parliament hold so dear: justice, democracy, and the rule of law,” Metsola reiterates..

“The European Parliament stands with the people of Venezuela and with María Corina Machado and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia in their struggle for the democratic future of their country,” concludes the European Parliament President.

ECR MEP Nicola Procaccini expressed satisfaction with the candidates’ victory from the group. “We are especially proud to have sent them (ed. to the Venezuelans) a signal of closeness and a signal of love for freedom,” Procaccini says.

The two leaders had already received the firm support of the European Parliament through a resolution approved on September 19, recognizing Urrutia’s presidency as “legitimate and democratically elected.” A large majority in the European Parliament supported the opposition to the actions of the Maduro regime, including the EPP and the ECR, promoters of the nomination of the two Venezuelan politicians.

The other finalists, chosen by the Foreign Affairs and Development Commissions, included Azerbaijani academic and anti-corruption activist Gubad Ibadoghlu, proposed by the Greens/ALE, whose denunciation of the conditions of the Azerbaijani regime caused his arrest and countless violations of his human rights. The other nominees for the award were the two feminist associations, the Israeli “Women Wage Peace” and the Palestinian “Women for Sun” for their efforts to seek a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Gaza by promoting the role of women. The two organizations were jointly nominated by Renew and S&D.

On X, the S&D group congratulated the winners with a tribute to their candidates:

Congratulations to María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia, recipients of the Sakharov Prize 2024 for fighting human rights repression in Venezuela.

We pay tribute to our Women wage peace& Women of the sun candidates for striving for peace in the Middle East.

@TheProgressives – October 24, 2024

The French S&D delegation expressed regret for the missed opportunity of the European Parliament to “send a strong message of peace and reconciliation to the Middle East by awarding the Sakharov Prize to Israeli and Palestinian women committed to peace.” The delegation members remain “convinced that the road to peace passes through the mobilization of civil society on both sides, particularly women.”

The award ceremony will be in Strasbourg on December 18, with the winners and the other two finalists attending.