<p>President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a third term on 10 January 2025, despite credible evidence that he lost the July 2024 presidential election. The Venezuelan National Electoral Council, which is dominated by government loyalists, declared Mr Maduro’s victory but has refused to publish official records from polling stations.</p>

<p>Nonetheless, several countries as well as the European Parliament have recognised Edmundo González Urrutia as the country’s democratically elected President. Mr González Urrutia and María Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela’s Democratic Unitary Platform, were awarded the European Parliament’s Sakharov for Freedom of Thought in December 2024.</p>

EU - Venezuela

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announces the winner of this year’s Sakharov Prize 2024 for Freedom of Thought in the hemicycle. The laureate is María Corina Machado as the leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, representing all Venezuelans fighting for the reinstitution of freedom and democracy from both inside and outside the country;

Named after Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, who agreed to his name being used, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the EU’s highest human rights award.
The Sakharov Prize ceremony will be held on Wednesday 18 December at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. To learn more about the nominees for the 2024 Sakharov Prize, click here.

María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia awarded 2024 Sakharov Prize

Roberta METSOLA, EP President participates at the Munich Security Conference 2025 - Participation at the Spotlight Session on Venezuela

EP Plenary session - Situation in Venezuela following the usurpation of the presidency on 10 January 2025

EP Plenary session - Commission statement - Situation in Venezuela

EP Plenary session - Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

EP Plenary session - Council and Commission statements - Further repression against the democratic forces in Venezuela: attacks on presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado

EP Plenary session - Statement by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - Situation in Venezuela

EP plenary session - Statement by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - The latest developments in the National Assembly of Venezuela

EP Plenary session- EU diplomatic mission in Venezuela in view of possible elections

EP Plenary session - The breach of Council Decision 2017/2074 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Venezuela - illegal entry on the territory of an EU Member State of a person included in the list of sanctions

EP Press conference on the situation in Venezuela

EP Plenary session -  Humanitarian situation in Venezuela and migration and refugee crisis

EP Plenary session  - Humanitarian situation in Venezuela and migration and refugee crisis

Inauguration of the Sakharov ' Walk of Freedom '

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Lorent SALEH, 2017 Sakharov Prize winner

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Laurent SALEH, 2017 Sakharov Prize winner

Antonio TAJANI, EP President meets with Aaron RODRIGUEZ MORO and Gabriel GALLO.

Plenary session - Introductory remarks by Antonio TAJANI, EP President: tribute to Antonio Megalizzi and Bartek Orent-Niedzielski, killed in Strasbourg during a terrorist attack (11/12/18) and situation in Venezuela and in Turkey

Plenary session - Voting session - Situation in Venezuela

President Metsola participates in the Munich Security Conference. She exchanges with Edmundo GONZÁLEZ URRUTIA, President-elect of Venezuela and Sakharov Prize laureate 2024 on the situation in Venezuela during a Spotlight Session. The 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) offers an unparalleled platform for high-level debates on the key foreign and security policy challenges of our time.

Munich Security Conference 2025 - Spotlight Session on Venezuela with the participation of Roberta METSOLA, EP President and Edmundo GONZÁLEZ URRUTIA, President-elect of Venezuela and Sakharov Prize laureate 2024: opening statements

Roberta METSOLA, EP President participates at the 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich. MSC is the world's leading forum for debating the most pressing challenges to international security. This video includes her arrival and cutaways of her participation to the spolight on Venezuela with Edmundo GONZÁLEZ URRUTIA, President-elect of Venezuela and Sakharov Prize laureate 2024.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President participates at the Munich Security Conference 2025: atmosphere

Motion for resolution - Case of Jean-Jacques Wondo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Motion for resolution - Systematic repression of human rights in Iran, notably the cases of Pakhshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi, and the taking of EU citizens as hostages Motion for resolution - Case of Boualem Sansal in Algeria Motions for resolution - Russia’s disinformation and historical falsification to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine (Debate: 17/12/2024) Motions for resolution - Situation in Venezuela following the usurpation of the presidency on 10 January 2025

Voting session

MEPs debate the critical situation in Venezuela after the investiture of illegitimate President Maduro. Opening statements by Adam SZŁAPKA, Polish Minister for European Affairs and by Andrius KUBILIUS, European Commissioner for Defence and Space. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

The situation in Venezuela following the usurpation of the presidency on 10 January 2025: Opening statements by Adam SZŁAPKA and by Andrius KUBILIUS

MEPs debate the critical situation in Venezuela after the investiture of illegitimate President Maduro. Closing statements by Andrius KUBILIUS, European Commissioner for Defence and Space. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

The situation in Venezuela following the usurpation of the presidency on 10 January 2025: Closing statements by Andrius KUBILIUS, European Commissioner for Defence and Space

The European Parliament debates the critical situation in Venezuela following the investiture of President Maduro despite the credible evidence that he lost the presidential elections with Commission Kubilius and Polish Minister Szłapka. This news item shows extracts from the debate.

The situation in Venezuela following the usurpation of the presidency on 10 January 2025: extracts from the debate

MEPs debate the critical situation in Venezuela after the investiture of illegitimate President Maduro.

The situation in Venezuela following the usurpation of the presidency on 10 January 2025: MEPs debate

This infoclip shows images of Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, highlighting several historic landmarks, including the National Electoral Council (CNE), the Federal Legislative Palace, the National Assembly, and the Caracas City Council. The footage also captures street views of Avenue México and Avenue Bolívar, with scenes of citizens walking, newspaper stands, and the neighborhood of Petare. The European Parliament awards María Corina Machado, the leader of Venezuela’s democratic forces, and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Infoclip: Caracas (Venezuela) - Sakharov Prize 2024 laureate

This infoclip shows images of María Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela's democratic forces, and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia during the election campaign in Venezuela. It also highlights scenes of protests against police violence, with demonstrators holding candles and posters in honor of the victims. The European Parliament awards the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia, with its EUR 50 000 endowment, at a formal plenary sitting in Strasbourg in December.

Infoclip: María Corina MACHADO, leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela, Edmundo GONZALEZ URRUTIA, Venezuelan President-elect and the Venezuelan opposition movement Sakharov Prize 2024 laureate

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, announces the Sakharov Prize 2024 laureate: María Corina Machado, as leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, representing all Venezuelans inside and outside the country fighting to restore freedom and democracy. The other two finalists were, in alphabetical order: Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, academic and anti-corruption activist in Azerbaijan and "Women Wage Peace" and "Women of the Sun", Israel/Palestine. Named after Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, who agreed to his name being used, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the EU’s highest human rights award. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Announcement of the Sakharov Prize 2024 laureate

Roberta Metsola, EP President, announces the winner of this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in the hemicycle shortly after the decision by Parliament’s Conference of Presidents (EP President Metsola and political group leaders). The winner of the 2024 Prize are María Corina Machado as the leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, representing all Venezuelans fighting for the reinstitution of freedom and democracy from both inside and outside the country. Metsola also highlighted that the European Parliament stands behind the other finalists, Women Wage Peace & Women of the Sun from Israel/Palestine, and Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu from Azerbaijan.

María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia awarded 2024 Sakharov Prize: roundtable at the Conference of Presidents and extracts from the announcement of the laureate

The Foreign Affairs and Development committees votes to shortlist three finalists for the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, among those already nominated by MEPs and political groups. The 3 finalists are: Venezuela’s María Corina Machado and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, Israel/Palestine associations “Women wage peace" and "Women of the sun" and Azerbaijan’s Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu.Announcement of the 3 finalists for Sakharov Prize 2024: statements by David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), Barry ANDREWS (Renew, IE), Chair Committee on Development(DEVE) and Mounir SATOURI (GREENS/EFA, FR), Chair Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI).

Announcement of the 3 finalists for Sakharov Prize 2024: statements by David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), AFET Chair, Barry ANDREWS (Renew, IE), DEVE Chair and Mounir SATOURI (GREENS/EFA, FR), DROI Chair

From 11-17 October 2021, The European Parliament welcomes 14 Sakharov Fellows. Since 2016, the European Parliament runs an annual programme for human rights defenders, known as the Sakharov Fellowship Programme. This programme brings together a selected group of human rights activists from around the world in order to discuss new ways to collaborate and network on human rights causes. On that occasion, Lorent Saleh, the Sakharov Prize Laureate from 2017, visits (with seceral activists) the newly-renovated exhibition space dedicated to the Sakharov prize in the Parlamentarium in Brussels. Extracts from the visit and statements of Lorent Saleh and two Shakarov fellows Jorge Ruiz Reyes, researcher at the Human Rights Center of Universidad Iberoamericana, in Mexico, and Abdelsamee Abouelhamd, activist and artist using theatre and performance to raise awareness about civil and economic rights in Egypt.

Sakharov Fellowship for human rights defenders: Lorent Saleh, Sakharov Prize Laureate from 2017 visits the newly-renovated exhibition space dedicated to the Sakharov prize in the Parlamentarium

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (18-21 January 2021), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, closes the debate with MEPs on the latest developments in the National Assembly of Venezuela.

The latest developments in the National Assembly of Venezuela: closing statement

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (18-21 January 2021), MEPs debate on the undemocratic elections for the Venezuelan National Assembly.

The latest developments in the National Assembly of Venezuela: MEPs debate

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (18-21 January 2021), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, makes the opening statement on the latest developments in the National Assembly of Venezuela.

The latest developments in the National Assembly of Venezuela: opening statement by Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission

Lorent SALEH, Sakharov Prize 2017, staged the performance "White torture" at the garage of the European Parliament in Brussels. Trapped in a cage, he showed artistically the suffering of his imprisonment and re-created the atmosphere of a torture centre, thanks to lighting effects, special sounds and several volunteers playing the part of policemen or prisoners.

"White torture underground poetry" performance by Lorent Saleh, Sakharov Prize 2017: extracts

During the plenary session (10-13 February 2020) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on Venezuela - illegal entry on the territory of an EU Member State of a person included in the list of sanctions. Statements by Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, Dolors MONTSERRAT (EPP, ES), Javier MORENO SÁNCHEZ (S&D, ES), Jordi CAÑAS (RE, ES), Ernest URTASUN (Greens/ALE, ES), and Hermann TERTSCH (ECR, ES).

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