Venezuelan opposition leaders awarded Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought

María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia, key figures in Venezuela’s opposition movement, have been awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2024 for their efforts to restore freedom and democracy in Venezuela, challenging the authoritarian regime of president Nicolás Maduro.

The European Parliament announced the winners on Thursday, praising them for their bravery. “In their quest for a fair, free and peaceful transition of power, they have fearlessly upheld values that millions of Venezuelans and the European Parliament hold so dear: justice, democracy and the rule of law”, EP president Roberta Metsola said. 

Machado, the opposition’s candidate for Venezuela’s presidential elections in July, was disqualified by the regime. González Urrutia, who succeeded her as the opposition’s leader, fled the country after contesting the results of the disputed election.

In September 2024, the European Parliament passed a resolution recognising González Urrutia as Venezuela’s president-elect and condemning the election fraud perpetrated by the Maduro regime. The resolution also highlighted widespread human rights violations, including the arrest of 2,400 demonstrators and the deaths of 24 people following the elections.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, is the EU’s top human rights award. Last year, the parliament awarded the prize to Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody, and the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement in Iran.

^{Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado © Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP}