Venezuelan opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia have been awarded the European Union's top human rights honor, the Sakharov Prize. Machado was disqualified from running in Venezuela's 2024 presidential election, so González took her place. The lead-up to the poll saw widespread repression, including disqualifications, arrests, and human rights violations. The EU parliament recognized González as Venezuela's legitimate president. The annual award, with its 50,000-euro ($54,000) endowment, will be presented in a ceremony at the European Parliament in mid-December.