Venezuelan Leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez Awarded 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado raises the hand of opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia during a rally in front of the United Nations headquarters in Caracas on July 30, 2024. © Yuri Cortez, AFP

Today, the European Parliament announced the winners of the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Venezuelan opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez were honored with this annual award, recognizing their significant contributions to the fight for democracy in Venezuela.

Machado, 57, played a pivotal role in the presidential election held in July, where the authorities declared Nicolás Maduro the winner.

However, the opposition asserts that their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, was the rightful victor.

On October 17, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Development committees selected the finalists for the 2024 prize, which included the Venezuelan leaders, an Azerbaijani anti-corruption activist, and Israeli and Palestinian NGOs—”Women of the Sun” and “Women Wage Peace”—which promote peace initiatives.

Earlier this September, nominees included Palestinian journalists Hamza and Wael Al-Dahdouh, Shireen Abu Akleh, and Ain Media in tribute to Yasser Murtaja and Roshdi Sarraj, all of whom were tragically killed by Israeli forces.

The award ceremony will take place during the December plenary session in Strasbourg.

Agencies.