European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Thursday announced Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela's leading pro-democracy figure, and the country's widely recognized President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, as the winners of this year's Sakharov prize.

The parliament recognized them as "representing all Venezuelans inside and outside the country fighting to restore freedom and democracy."

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Machado had been running as the democratic opposition candidate in Venezuela's 2024 presidential election but was disqualified by the government. Gonzalez took her place and is widely held to have won the July 28 presidential election by a wide margin against Venezuela's authoritarian incumbent president, Nicolas Maduro, who maintains that he won.

Machado went into hiding, fearing for her life, while a Venezuelan court issued an arrest warrant for Gonzalez, who fled to Spain and was granted asylum.

"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," said Metsola. 

"This parliament stands with the people of Venezuela and with Maria and Edmundo and their struggle for the democratic future of their country. This award is for them and we are confident that Venezuela and democracy will ultimately prevail."

Who were the other contenders?

The pair were among three finalists that also included Azerbaijan anti-corruption activist and academic Gubad Ibadoghlu and the two groups "Women Wage Peace" and "Women of the Sun," from Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The award pays tribute to individuals deemed to have made outstanding contributions to protecting human rights or freedom of thought.

Past recipients include former South African President Nelson Mandela and late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Last year's winner was Iranian Jina Mahsa Amini whose death in custody triggered widespread protests that shared the award under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom."

rc/wmr (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)