site.bta2024 Sakharov Prize Recipient Edmundo Gonzalez Wants to Be Remembered as President who Helped Reconcile Venezuelan People

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez expressed confidence that he would return to his country in time to assume office as president on January 10. "I expect this day to be the beginning of a new democratic era for Venezuela," he said in an interview to BTA, adding that he wanted to be remembered as the president who helped reconcile the Venezuelan people. This Tuesday (December 17), Edmundo Gonzalez will be awarded the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The ceremony will take place at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Edmundo González ran for president in the country's elections at the end of July. Nicolas Maduro was declared winner, for his third six-year term. Following the elections, mass protests began with accusations against Maduro that he had falsified the results. According to the opposition, it was Gonzalez who won with over 70% of the vote. The National Electoral Council, which declared Maduro the winner, never published the results. Nine Latin American countries questioned Maduro's victory and called for a review of the election results. Meanwhile, the United States and the European Parliament have declared Edmundo Gonzalez the winner of the elections. Gonzalez himself left Venezuela in September 2024 after an arrest warrant was issued against him.

Edmundo Gonzalez gave an interview for BTA in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Q: A few days ago, the current President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, accused you of fomenting civil war in the country. He warned that you will be faced with serious consequences if you returned to the country to take over the presidency on January 10. What will you do? Are you not afraid?

 A: I am not afraid. This is something we are accustomed to. Nicolas Maduro always sends a message of menace. It doesn't bother us. We have a goal - to work to rebuild the country. (...) I expect January 10 to be the beginning of a new democratic era for Venezuela. I was elected by over seven million voters. We must respect the decision of the people of Venezuela, of the Venezuelan people. I must fulfil their will - to be their President."

Q: What gives you strength?

A: The people of Venezuela who have supported me very clearly. That is my strength.

Q: What kind of Venezuela do you dream of?

A: I want to be remembered as the president who helped, who contributed to the reconciliation of the Venezuelan people. A country without enemies, a country where everyone has the freedom to express themselves, their ideology, their views, without fear.

Q: The US has recognized you as president. What support do you expect from the EU, from other countries?

A: Some EU members have already publicly accepted me as President of Venezuela. Others are waiting for January 10  to do so. But I have received signs of support from every country and hopefully this attitude will increase in the future. I am one hundred percent optimistic."

Named after Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the EU’s highest human rights award. Created in 1988, it is awarded every year by Parliament to individuals or organizations, in recognition of their work in one of the following areas: the defence of human rights and fundamental rights, in particular freedom of expression, the safeguarding of minority rights, respect for international law, the development of democracy and the defence of the rule of law.