Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless advocacy for democracy and peaceful transition from dictatorship in Venezuela.
The Nobel Committee hailed her “courageous resistance against authoritarianism” and her “commitment to nonviolent reform,” recognizing her as a symbol of democratic defiance in one of Latin America’s most repressive regimes.
Born in Caracas in 1967, Machado began her activism through Fundación Atenea, a foundation she created to help orphaned children. Her political career took off after she co-founded Súmate, an election-monitoring organization that challenged government corruption. She later founded the liberal political party Vente Venezuela and served in the National Assembly from 2011 to 2014.
In January 2025, Machado was violently intercepted amid gunfire while leaving a protest in eastern Caracas and detained after her first public appearance in months.
Despite repeated threats, she continues to advocate for free elections and human rights, becoming a beacon of hope for millions of Venezuelans disillusioned with President Nicolás Maduro’s rule.
The Nobel announcement came as a disappointment to U.S. President Donald Trump, who had publicly expressed hopes of winning the award for his peace initiatives.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has claimed to have “stopped seven wars,” including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and unveiled a 20-point Gaza peace plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump, nominated by Pakistan and backed by groups such as the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, has long argued he should have received the prize “four or five times.”
Despite their contrasting political paths, Machado has previously thanked Trump for his efforts to dismantle criminal cartels affecting Venezuela, calling him “decisive and courageous.”
The Nobel Peace Prize, worth $1.2 million (£902,000), will be presented on December 10 in Oslo, Norway, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. Machado joins a historic list of laureates including Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, and Henry Kissinger.
