Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, a recognition of her unwavering fight for democracy and human rights in a country enduring years of political and economic crisis. The Nobel Committee hailed the 58-year-old as one of the most remarkable symbols of civilian courage in Latin America. Machado has spent years challenging the rule of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros, whose 12 year tenure many consider illegitimate and marked by widespread corruption and suppression of dissent. In a statement following the announcement, Machado said, This immense recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is an impetus to conclude our task: to achieve freedom. The Nobel Committee, announcing the award from Oslo, Norway, emphasized the global threat facing democracy, warning that freedom and human rights are in retreat around the world. Committee chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes said Machado was chosen for her courageous struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.
Machado has spent much of the past year living in hiding due to government persecution, yet she has continued to lead Venezuela’s opposition movement. Frydnes praised her as a key unifying figure who managed to bring together an opposition that was once deeply divided under an authoritarian regime now suffering from humanitarian and economic collapse. Despite facing constant threats to her life, Machado has remained in Venezuela, inspiring millions of her countrymen. Her decision to stay has shown the world what true courage looks like, Frydnes added.Responding to the award, Machado said, We are on the threshold of victory, and today more than ever we count on the support of democratic nations and the people of the world to help Venezuela achieve freedom and democracy. Venezuela will be free.
María Corina Machado Honored with 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for Democratic Leadership
Machado expressed humility in a separate message, saying the Nobel Peace Prize was the achievement of an entire society, adding, I am just one person. I certainly do not deserve this. Once one of Venezuela’s most respected opposition voices, Machado was barred from participating in last year’s presidential election, which saw Maduro claim a third term amid accusations of fraud and international condemnation. Even after her disqualification, she successfully united opposition groups behind Edmundo González, a lesser-known candidate who was widely believed to have won the election before the government-controlled electoral council declared Maduro the victor.
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González celebrated the news of her Nobel Peace Prize, calling it a well-deserved recognition for the long struggle of a brave woman and an entire nation fighting for freedom and democracy. At a news conference, Frydnes criticized Venezuela’s leadership, condemning the abuse of power, imprisonment of critics, and the silencing of the free press. He added that the committee hopes Machado will be able to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo this December, despite ongoing security risks. The award cements María Corina Machado’s place among global icons of democracy, symbolizing hope and resilience for millions seeking justice and liberty in Venezuela and beyond.
