The Diplomat
Former Prime Minister José María Aznar presented yesterday the 10th FAES Freedom Award to the president in charge of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, in an event held at the CaixaForum Auditorium, which was also attended by the president of the Madrid Regional Government, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, and the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida.
According to FAES, whose Foundation is chaired by Aznar, Guaidó had to follow the event by videoconference, given the situation in Venezuela.
In his speech, Aznar stressed that ‘freedom has a price, it demands sacrifice, the commitment of a life, integrity and courage’, and added: ‘That is what we want to reward in Guaidó’.
Noting that “the cause of freedom has powerful enemies”, he said: “Liberal democracy is being called into question in an unprecedented way. The aggressive resurgence of populism and nationalism obliges us to rediscover the foundations of freedom in order to preserve them”.
Aznar considered it necessary for Spain to assume a leading role in the European response, something that, in his opinion, is not happening: ‘Venezuela is the indicator of a very serious shortcoming in our foreign policy towards Latin America‘, he regretted.
Regarding the figure of Guaidó, he stressed that in FAES Foundation they were always close to the cause. “We are by his side and we will continue by his side on a path that we well know is full of traps”.
He then called for unity in Venezuela and called for free elections. “Venezuela, along with Cuba, is the greatest source of destabilisation in the Americas (…) It is a country dominated by a regime that the United Nations has attributed crimes against humanity to”, he remarked.
At the end of his speech, he recognised Guaidó “for his courage and tenacity in the defence of values that are universal”.
The Venezuelan president-in-charge thanked him for the distinction and said that the award represents “a commitment to millions of Venezuelans who are suffering, but also a commitment to those who are struggling”.
Referring to the recent announcement of a National Salvation Agreement, which includes a negotiation process with the regime of Nicolás Maduro, with the mediation of the international community. In this regard, he remarked: “The project is anchored in constitutional values, encouraged in our struggle and democratic resistance, in achieving a transition, understanding that we are facing a dictatorship accused of crimes against humanity. Nobody trusts in a dictator, but on the contrary, we trust in the strength of mobilisation, organisation, the support of political parties, civil society and the international community; an agreement that is based on achieving free and fair elections, that the Venezuelan people can decide”.
