The European Parliament has handed its annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Venezuelan opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez for “representing the people of Venezuela fighting to restore freedom and democracy”.
The announcement of the winners on October 24 came after the list of candidates put forward had caused controversy for not including US billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk. He had been proposed by Jordan Bardella, president of the French National Rally party and the Patriots group in the European Parliament.
As Brussels Signal reported on October 18, that exclusion sparked accusations of political manoeuvring, especially in light of the rhetoric regarding Musk and his public persona.
Venezuela held a presidential election in July, with the opposition publishing vote tallies it said showed Gonzalez won a resounding victory. But the national election board declared incumbent Nicolas Maduro the winner and Gonzalez – who is wanted by Venezuelan authorities – fled to Spain.
“Edmundo and Maria have continued to fight for the free, fair, and peaceful transition of power and have fearlessly upheld those values that millions of Venezuelans and this parliament hold so dear: justice, democracy and the rule of law,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said, according to Reuters.
The Sakharov Prize was launched in 1988 and is awarded to individuals and organisations defending human rights and democracy.
Last year, the EP gave the prize to Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody, and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran.
