On December 17, 2024, the European Parliament presented the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and her associate, former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia. The award ceremony, held in Strasbourg, was led by Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who emphasized their courageous defense of justice, democracy, and the rule of law, values essential to millions of Venezuelans.
Edmundo González, 75, who fled Venezuela and currently resides in Spain seeking political asylum, attended the ceremony in person. He reiterated his intention to return to Venezuela on January 10 to take the presidential oath, expressing hope that this date would mark the beginning of a new era of democracy in the country.
Meanwhile, María Corina Machado, 57, remains in hiding in Venezuela. The ceremony organizer was able to connect with her via video link, and her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepted the award on her behalf.
The presidential elections in Venezuela took place on July 28, with the government-controlled electoral authority declaring Nicolás Maduro the winner with 51.2% of the votes. However, international observers were not permitted to monitor the elections.
The opposition claims that under fair conditions, González would have won approximately 67% of the votes, having been nominated in place of Machado, who was barred from participating. To support their claims, the opposition released over 80% of ballots collected directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela.
Following the election results, mass protests erupted in Caracas and other cities against alleged fraud, resulting in the deaths of between 23 and 27 individuals, according to various reports. The prosecution has issued an arrest warrant for González. The United States has officially recognized González as the legitimate election winner, while the European Union has not acknowledged Maduro's legitimacy since his previous term.