“The situation in Venezuela is extremely serious. In this Latin American country, home to many Europeans and many people of European origin, fundamental rights are trampled upon. The living conditions of Venezuelan people have deteriorated, and there is lack of food, water, medicines. Now we speak up for the respect of freedom and democracy for all the people of Venezuela”. This was stated by Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament, who announced in the chamber of the European Parliament shortly after noon the winner of the Sakharov Prize 2017, which was awarded by the Conference of Presidents to the democratic opposition in Venezuela. President Tajani spoke of “the European Parliament’s full support for the National Assembly of Venezuela, the only democratically elected assembly”. In his brief speech, as he announced the winner of the Sakharov Prize, Mr Tajani called for a “peaceful transition” in the Latin American country and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to bring aid to the peoples affected by hunger and poverty. In addition to the Venezuelan opposition, the finalists for the Sakharov Prize 2017 also included Aura Lolita Ixcaquic Chavez, a human rights activist in Guatemala, and Dawit Isaak, a Swedish-Eritrean playwright, journalist and writer, who was arrested in 2001 and from whom we have not heard in years. Representatives of Chavez Ixcaquic and Isaak have been invited to the Sakharov Prize award ceremony, which will take place in Strasbourg in December.