Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Wins 2025 Nobel Peace Prize
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María Corina Machado has been named the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, honored “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
A trained industrial engineer born in Caracas in 1967, Machado has long been a prominent figure in Venezuela’s opposition movement. She cofounded Súmate, a civic organisation focused on election monitoring and democratic engagement, and has been active in uniting diverse opposition factions.
In recent years, Machado has faced severe restrictions: in 2023 she won the opposition’s primary but was subsequently barred from contesting the 2024 presidential election by the regime’s courts. Despite threats to her safety, she remains in Venezuela in hiding, continuing to lead resistance efforts.
The Nobel Committee underscored that, even under extraordinary pressure, she has become a unifying force in Venezuela’s fragmented opposition and stands as a symbol of civilian courage in Latin America.
In her acceptance, Machado insisted that the award is not for her alone but for the Venezuelan people—“a movement, an achievement of a whole society.” She dedicated part of the laureate to former U.S. President Donald Trump, citing his “decisive support” for Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement.
The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is scheduled for 10 December 2025 in Oslo, when Machado will receive the medal, diploma, and prize sum alongside international recognition of Venezuela’s struggle for democratic rule.
