The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, presented the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Venezuelan leaders Edmundo González Urrutia and
María Corina Machado during a ceremony held on Tuesday in Strasbourg.
Opening the ceremony, President Metsola praised their resilience: “In their quest for justice, democracy, and the rule of law, Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado are fearlessly upholding values cherished by millions of Venezuelans and the European Parliament alike. This award is not only recognition but a powerful reminder that the fight for freedom is never in vain. The future of Venezuela belongs to its people, and the European Parliament stands proudly with them.”
María Corina Machado, represented by her daughter Ana Corina Sosa at the ceremony, was chosen as the opposition's presidential candidate in 2023 by the United Democratic Platform. However, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, controlled by the government, disqualified her candidacy.
Following Machado's disqualification, Edmundo González Urrutia, a diplomat and politician, stepped in as the opposition’s main candidate. After the disputed July 2024 presidential election and Nicolás Maduro’s contested victory, González Urrutia denounced the absence of official results. Facing an arrest warrant, he sought refuge in Spain in September 2024.
Addressing MEPs, González Urrutia declared: “Sooner rather than later, our country will take a turn determined by its people. The abuse and violence we see today are merely clumsy attempts to delay the inevitable.” He emphasized that no government based on violence can endure and highlighted the shared desire of Venezuelans—*“including partisans and former regime supporters”—*to move towards freedom, democracy, and reconciliation.
He described the Sakharov Prize as a symbol of global unity among democrats, stating, “Venezuela’s fight for freedom and democracy is a fight for these values across the world.”
In her remote address, María Corina Machado spoke of Venezuela’s decades-long struggle: “For 25 years, they have sought to divide and subdue us—fostering hatred between rich and poor, left and right, those who leave and those who stay. They dismantled democratic institutions, suffocated the economy, and subjected millions to political dependence without dignity or hope.”
Machado highlighted the significance of the 28 July 2024 presidential elections as the start of irreversible change, transcending Venezuela’s borders. “Venezuela has awakened. We will succeed, and our victory will be a victory for humanity.” She thanked the European Parliament for demonstrating solidarity: “You have proven we are not alone.”
European Parliament’s support for Venezuelan democracy
In a resolution adopted on 19 September 2024, the European Parliament formally recognized Edmundo González Urrutia as Venezuela's legitimate, democratically elected president and María Corina Machado as the leader of the country’s democratic forces. The resolution highlighted that international election observers deemed the Venezuelan elections failed to meet international electoral integrity standards.
Earlier in February 2024, the European Parliament urged EU member states to uphold and strengthen sanctions on the Maduro regime until it demonstrated a clear commitment to democratic reforms, as outlined in the Barbados Agreement.
In July 2023, the European Parliament also condemned the regime’s arbitrary exclusion of opposition leaders—such as María Corina Machado, Leopoldo López, Henrique Capriles, and Freddy Superlano—from participating in the 2024 elections.
The full recording of the ceremony is available online. Photo by EP.