Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani met with Venezuelan opposition leader and Sakharov Prize laureate for Freedom of Thought, Edmundo González Urrutia, at the Farnesina.
While personally congratulating him on this esteemed recognition, a testament to González Urrutia’s courage and fight for human rights and democracy in Venezuela, Minister Tajani reassured him of Italy’s continued attention to the crisis stemming from the 28 July elections. “Freedom is under assault in Venezuela,” Tajani stated. “Italy stands firmly with the Venezuelan people, who have clearly expressed their will, and strongly condemns the human rights abuses, arbitrary detentions, and political repression by the Maduro regime, starkly illustrated by the arrest warrant issued against Edmundo González Urrutia.”
Minister Tajani reiterated the Italian Government’s commitment, particularly during its G7 Presidency (most recently with a statement issued at the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New York), to support a peaceful and democratic transition in line with the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed in the 28 July elections. He further highlighted that he had raised the issue during his recent mission to Latin America, signing a joint declaration on Venezuela with Argentina.
Finally, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasised Italy’s steadfast support for the large Italian and Italian-descendant community in Venezuela, underscoring the role of the permanent “task force” established at the Farnesina.
