Speeches

Madam President, Venezuela is shackled by the iron fist of a dictatorship. Nicolás Maduro is not a leader. He is a dictator who betrays his own people, the symbol of a corrupt and authoritarian government that remains in power at the cost of hunger, violence and fear. The regime of Nicolás Maduro is a contempt for all the principles we stand for: freedom, democracy and human dignity. The suffering of millions of Venezuelans is not only a tragedy, it is a deliberate attack on the fundamental rights of a people who yearn for freedom. Maduro's election was a farce. An orchestrated hoax to continue the misery it has inflicted on your country. There is no legitimacy in an election where the opposition is silenced, votes are manipulated, and the people live in fear of reprisals for daring to demand change. There is no legitimacy when a lie is imposed by force. This is not democracy, it is tyranny disguised as power. Those who still defend this regime, or those who remain silent, are complicit in oppression. History will judge those who choose silence over brutality. In Venezuela, more than 2 000 people were arbitrarily detained after the elections. The leader of the opposition had to flee. Political parties face numerous restrictions on their activity. Seven million Venezuelans have fled their homeland in search of hope and dignity. Recognizing the victory of Edmundo González is a historical, moral and strategic imperative, for the restoration of truth, for coherence. Democracy or Tyranny? Freedom or oppression? Justice or injustice? The choice is ours, and the choice must be clear. The time for ambiguity is over. In the face of dictatorship, fraud and repression in Venezuela, there is no room for hesitation or silence. Just be a Democrat. The whole world is watching us, waiting for Europe to stand up for freedom.

Madam President, beyond our borders, a nation is fighting for its survival. When a nation is invaded by a regime that seeks to rewrite borders by force, it is a direct attack on everything we have built in Europe since the end of World War II. To support Ukraine is to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to freedom. It is to state clearly and firmly that aggression and tyranny have no place in Europe. It is to argue that what is at stake is not just the future of a nation, but the integrity of a global system based on rules and rights. It is time to rethink the restrictions on the use of long-range weapons in the defence of Ukraine. The extended ban on hitting Russian territory grants Russia a license to kill civilians and destroy infrastructure with impunity. We must be prepared to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, because our democracy cannot be crushed under the weight of tanks and our freedom cannot be silenced by missiles. Supporting Ukraine is a moral, strategic and historical obligation. It is a question of justice that defines who we are and what we believe in. Let us show the world that, in the face of tyranny, Europe does not back down.

Madam President, as we begin the work of this plenary session, my country, Portugal, is facing a tragedy. Large-scale fires are affecting several areas of the country, in particular the north, where I am from, and have already forced the evacuation of localities. At this time of anxiety, I would like to take this opportunity to honour in this House the memory of a firefighter who tragically died in the service of my country, expressing – and I believe I will be able to do so on behalf of the entire Portuguese delegation – a sense of gratitude and recognition towards all men and women, firefighters, military personnel and operational teams fighting the flames in a high-risk context.