Venezuela: Call for EU sanctions ahead of human rights award

The EU’s top human rights award will be officially presented to Venezuela’s opposition and political prisoners on Wednesday. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought comes after deadly anti-government demos in the country earlier this year. Last month, Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, an opponent of President Nicolas Maduro, escaped house arrest and made it to Spain. Speaking to Euronews, he says the EU needs to hit Venezuela with sanctions. “Canada and the US have made sanctions against individuals, and not against the whole country. They’re meant to hit people in connection with drug trafficking, corruption and human rights violations. The EU too should follow this path,” Ledezma stressed. More…