Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her relentless efforts to establish democratic rights for the people of Venezuela, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.
The award was declared in Oslo, Norway, recognizing Machado’s struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from autocracy to democracy in her country.
According to the Nobel Prize official website, Machado has been an exemplary figure of courage in leading the movement for democracy in Venezuela. Amid political opposition, she has remained a symbol of unity and a prominent advocate for democratic governance in Latin America.
Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump publicly presented himself as a candidate for the Peace Prize, claiming his role in ending seven conflicts. Israeli and Pakistani leaders, as well as politicians and lawmakers in Sweden and Norway, expressed support for his nomination.
Venezuela’s current President, Nicolas Maduro, has been in office since the death of Hugo Chávez in 2013. Late last month, the US military reportedly prepared operations to counter alleged drug trafficking in Venezuela, though Trump did not authorize an attack at that time. In recent weeks, US forces reportedly struck at least three Venezuelan vessels suspected of carrying drugs, although evidence supporting these claims remains limited.
The Nobel Committee highlighted that Machado, as a founder of a dedicated organization for democratic development, has spent over 20 years advocating for free and fair elections. She has raised her voice for judicial independence, human rights, and representative governance.
Ahead of the 2024 elections, Machado was the opposition’s presidential candidate, but the ruling authorities blocked her candidacy. She subsequently supported another candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urutía, rallying hundreds of thousands of volunteers to monitor polling stations and ensure transparency. Despite risks of harassment, detention, and persecution, Venezuelan citizens remained vigilant at voting centers.
The committee noted that the opposition’s efforts during the elections were innovative, courageous, peaceful, and democratic. However, Maduro’s administration refused to recognize the election results, focusing instead on retaining power.
The Nobel authorities emphasized that democracy is a prerequisite for lasting peace. They also highlighted ongoing oppression in other countries, where those in power manipulate laws, restrict media freedom, and imprison critics. While numerous elections took place worldwide in 2024, only a few were genuinely free and fair.
Last year, the Peace Prize was awarded to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, representing survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The group was honored for its grassroots efforts toward a nuclear-free world and for demonstrating, through firsthand accounts, why nuclear weapons must never be used again.
