Venezuelan opposition leader and pro-democracy activist María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights” and efforts to achieve a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.
Gatekeepers News reports that committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes, speaking in Oslo, described Machado as a “unifying figure” in what he called a “brutal authoritarian state,” praising her courage in continuing her activism despite years of persecution and threats.
“Despite serious threats against her life, she has remained in the country — a choice that has inspired millions,” Frydnes said, adding that Venezuela had transformed from a once-prosperous democracy into a state marked by repression and humanitarian crisis.
Machado, 58, reacted with visible emotion upon hearing the news. “I am in shock,” she said in a brief video message sent to AFP by her press team.
The committee hailed her as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.”
A Symbol of Defiance and Unity
Machado, a former presidential candidate, has spent the past year in hiding following the government’s decision to block her participation in the 2024 Venezuelan elections. Despite being barred, she threw her support behind ex-diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, rallying crowds alongside him during campaign events.
Often dressed in white, Machado drew massive turnouts at opposition rallies, where supporters jostled to touch her or present handwritten notes, flowers, and baseball caps.
González Urrutia described her Nobel win as “a well-deserved recognition of the long struggle of a woman and an entire people for freedom and democracy.”
A Long History of Resistance
An engineer by training and born in Caracas, Machado first entered public life in 2002 as co-founder of Sumate (Join Us), a civil association that campaigned for a recall referendum against then-President Hugo Chávez.
She was later accused of treason for her activism and received repeated death threats, leading her to send her three children abroad for safety.
In 2024, Machado received both the European Union’s Sakharov Prize for Human Rights and the Council of Europe’s Václav Havel Prize, making her one of the most decorated human rights defenders in Latin America.
Global Context and Controversy
Her latest recognition comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro. Washington has accused Maduro of drug trafficking and refused to recognise his presidency, while conducting maritime operations near Venezuelan waters.
Machado and González Urrutia have publicly backed international pressure on Maduro’s regime, describing it as a “necessary measure” to restore Venezuela’s democratic institutions.
The Nobel Committee’s chair underscored that Machado’s role has been pivotal in uniting a once deeply divided opposition. “She has been a key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once fragmented,” Frydnes said.
Nobel Committee Defends Independence
Frydnes dismissed speculation that the committee was influenced by lobbying efforts, noting that the decision was made strictly in line with Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will.
“I think this committee has seen every type of campaign and media attention,” he said. “We base our decision only on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”
The award — which includes a gold medal, diploma, and $1.2 million prize — will be formally presented in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
