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

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

Plenary session - Situation in Venezuela

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

María Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela's democratic forces, and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, nominated by the EPP group, are finalists for the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, awarded by the European Parliament. This news item shows extracts from María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia during the Elections campaign, Venezuela protestants and police violence, and Edmundo González after his asylum in Spain. ©AFPTV. Mandatory onscreen credit: “AFPTV”. The material is offered for editorial use only, for the purpose of providing information and/or education on the Sakharov Prize 2024. No use after December 31st, 2024. No archive. User is prohibited from stripping the AFPTV material from the program initially produced to create a new program. No sublicensing to third-parties. For any other uses, please contact AFP – www.afp.com

Infoclip: Sakharov Prize 2024 - Finalist: María Corina Machado, Edmundo González Urrutia, Venezuela

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, 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

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

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).

Venezuela - illegal entry on the territory of an EU Member State of a person included in the list of sanctions: extracts from the debate

Dita CHARANZOVÁ (RE, CZ), EP Vice-President, Jordi CAÑAS (RE, ES), Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly, Esteban GONZÁLEZ PONS (EPP, ES), Javi LÓPEZ (S&D, ES), Hermann TERTSCH (ECR, ES), and Juan GUAIDO, legitimate interim President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, speak to the press about the situation in Venezuela.

Press conference by Juan GUAIDO, legitimate interim President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Dita CHARANZOVÁ (RE, CZ), Jordi CAÑAS (RE, ES), Esteban GONZÁLEZ PONS (EPP, ES), Javi LÓPEZ (S&D, ES), and Hermann TERTSCH (ECR, ES)

During the plenary session (13-16 January 2020) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate (14/01) and vote (16/01) on the situation in Venezuela after the election of the new National Assembly Presidency and Bureau. 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, Leopoldo LÓPEZ GIL (EPP, ES), Jordi CAÑAS (RE, ES), Nicola DANTI (S&D, IT) and Katarina BARLEY (S&D, DE).

Situation in Venezuela after the illegal election of the new National Assembly Presidency and Bureau (parliamentary coup): extracts from the debate (14/01) and extracts from the vote

During the plenary session (16-19 December 2019) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on humanitarian situation in Venezuela and migration and refugee crisis. 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, Javi LÓPEZ (S&D, ES), Dita CHARANZOVÁ (RE, CZ) and Alice KUHNKE (Greens/EFA, SE).

Humanitarian situation in Venezuela and migration and refugee crisis: extracts from the debate

David SASSOLI, EP President, meets Lorent SALEH, Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2017, representative of the democratic opposition of Venezuela. Lorent SALEH was a political prisoner.

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Lorent SALEH, 2017 Sakharov Laureate: arrival and roundtable

Sakharov Prize winners Salih OSMAN (Sudan) and Lorent SALEH (Venezuela) exchange of views with the EP Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) of the European Parliament in Brussels. Statements by Salih Mahmoud OSMAN, Sakharov Prize winner, Lorent SALEH, Sakharov Prize winner, Isabel WISELER-LIMA (EPP, LU) and Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT).

Exchange of views with Sakharov Prize winners Salih OSMAN (Sudan) and Lorent SALEH (Venezuela): extracts from the meeting of the Subcommittee on Human Rights

During the plenary session (25-28 March 2019) in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs vote on the emergency situation in Venezuela.

Emergency situation in Venezuela: extracts from the vote

Live replay of the introductory remarks by Antonio TAJANI, EP President, during the plenary session (11-14 March 2019), in the European Parliament in Strasbourg: plane crash in Ethiopia, anniversary of the terrorist attack in Madrid (11/03/2004) and terrorism in general, situation of Crimea and the power cut in Venezuela.

Introductory remarks by Antonio TAJANI, EP President

Antonio TAJANI, EP President, opens the plenary session (11-14 March 2019) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Statement on the aircraft accident in Ethiopia, on the anniversaries of the terrorist attacks in Madrid on 11 March 2004 and the annexation of Crimea in February 2014 and on the situation in Venezuela (electricity blackout for several days).

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