Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, recognized for her relentless efforts to defend democracy and human rights in Venezuela.
Announcing the award in Oslo, the Nobel Committee hailed Machado as “one of the most extraordinary examples of courage in Latin America in recent times.”
Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes emphasized that democratic activism in Venezuela remains dangerous, yet Machado has stood unwaveringly for free and fair elections for more than two decades, describing her advocacy as “a choice of ballots over bullets.”
“The Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 goes to a woman who keeps the flame of democracy going, amidst a growing darkness,” Frydnes declared.
Machado, a long-standing critic of Venezuela’s authoritarian government, has become a unifying figure in the country’s opposition movement. The committee praised her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela” and her leadership in pursuing “a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
The award also comes at a time when democratic values face increasing threats globally. The committee stressed that Machado embodies the core of democracy—defending principles of popular rule even when disagreements remain.
“At a time when democracy is under threat, it is more important than ever to defend this common ground,” the chairman added.
The announcement followed speculation surrounding other high-profile candidates. Notably, U.S. President Donald Trump had mounted a public campaign for the prize, though nominations closed at the beginning of his second term earlier this year.
With this honor, Machado joins a prestigious list of Nobel laureates and becomes a powerful symbol of resistance and hope for Venezuela’s democratic future.
