CARACAS.- The elected president of Venezuela, Edmundo González Urrutiaand the leader of the democratic opposition, María Corina Machado, were decorated with the Heroes of Democracy 2025 Award of the organization Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI) for its “brave leadership” in the “extraordinary struggle of the Venezuelan people for freedom and democratic restoration.”
The top award from the RDI was received by Ana Corina Sosa Machado, daughter of Machado, and David Smolansky, deputy director of the president -elect’s office in Washington DC, during his annual gala held this Thursday at the Gotham Hall in New York, on behalf of the opposition leaders.
Machado remains in hiding within the Venezuelan territory and González Urrutia has been in a forced exile in Spain since last September after the wave of persecution and repression unleashed by the regime of Nicolás Maduro after the elections of July 28, 2024.
“An act of resistance”
The daughter of the opposition leader offered a moving speech to the more than 260 attendees of the event, including philanthropists, defenders of democracy, political dissidents and international leaders, in which the feat made by the Venezuelan The opposition victory against the world.
“This was not just an election. It was the most powerful civil resistance act in the history of our country (…) We are not victims. We are fighters. And we will not stop until Venezuela is free, “said Sosa Machado, reviewed in a press release released by the command with Venezuela.
Machado sent a message of strength, dignity and determination through a video shared in the event, in which he expressed his “deep humility and gratitude” on behalf of Venezuelans who “have shown the world what it means to have courage.”
“Our struggle is not just for democracy in Venezuela – it is because of the principles of freedom and human dignity that unite all free nations (…) we have paid a very high price, but we are not afraid. We are determined to finish what we start – and we are going to overcome,” he said.
Nothing “extinguishes” the popular mandate
For his part, the president -elect, also through a video, denounced the repression unleashed after the July 28 elections and stressed the urgency of maintaining international support.
“That day, The Venezuelan people challenged those who carry weapons With truth and reason (…) Since then, more than 2,000 people have been arrested. All are victims of serious violations of human rights and atrocious crimes against humanity (…) My son -in -law was arrested in January and until today we have not been able to talk to him, “he said.
He also reaffirmed that “none of this can extinguish the popular and sovereign mandate of July 28, which is still in force. The regime is condemned to failure. With the valuable support of our international allies, we will prevail.”
