By Peter Omopo
Venezuelan opposition leader and democracy advocate María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday in Oslo.
Machado, 58, was honoured for what the committee described as her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
Announcing the award, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, praised Machado as “a unifying figure in a nation enduring political oppression and economic hardship.” He noted that her courage and persistence have inspired millions of Venezuelans to continue demanding freedom through nonviolent means.
Machado, who has been living in hiding for nearly a year amid an intensified crackdown on opposition figures by the government of President Nicolás Maduro, expressed astonishment upon hearing the news. “I am in shock,” she said in a short video message shared by her press team.
A long-time critic of the Maduro administration, Machado has been at the forefront of Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement, calling for free and fair elections, the release of political prisoners, and international action against human rights abuses in the country.
Her award comes at a time when Venezuela continues to grapple with economic collapse, political instability, and mass emigration, with millions fleeing poverty and repression.
The decision to honour Machado follows speculation that former U.S. President Donald Trump might receive the Peace Prize for his diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, but the committee ultimately chose to recognize grassroots advocacy for democracy in Latin America.
The Nobel Committee emphasized that Machado’s recognition is also a message of hope to those “fighting for freedom under authoritarian regimes worldwide.”
Machado joins a distinguished list of laureates who have received the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in advancing human rights, peace, and democracy.
