STRASBOURG: The Council of Europe on Monday awarded its 2024 rights prize to Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado for her struggle for democracy under President Nicolas Maduro's iron-fisted rule. Machado said she was "deeply moved, honoured and grateful" to be the first Latin American to win the award, named after the late Czech dissident, playwright and post-communist president Vaclav Havel. The award was received on her behalf at Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg by her daughter Ana.
"I want to dedicate this recognition to the millions of Venezuelans who, every day, embody Havel's values and ideas," Machado said in a video address from an undisclosed location in Venezuela. Her movement had demonstrated "the victory of democrats over dictatorship" in the most recent elections, she said. "Today our struggle continues because the truth persists until it prevails," she added. She said the significance of the award was "immense" not just for her but "all those who fight for the cause of freedom in Venezuela." — AFP
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