Maria Corina Machado wins 2025 Nobel Peace Prize in Venezuela

OSLO, Norway: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Friday, honoring her tireless efforts to promote democratic rights and peaceful political transition in Venezuela.

The 58-year-old industrial engineer, currently living in hiding, has long been a prominent figure in Venezuela’s opposition movement. Despite being barred from running in the 2024 presidential election by the Maduro-controlled courts, Machado has continued to campaign for free elections, human rights, and the rule of law in a country gripped by political repression.

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The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize to Maria Corina Machado for 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… pic.twitter.com/Zgth8KNJk9

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— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 10, 2025

“We base our decision only on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel,” said Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, during the announcement at the Nobel Institute in Oslo. “Maria Corina Machado represents courage, integrity, and a relentless pursuit of peace through democratic means.”

This year’s Peace Prize was awarded from a pool of 338 nominees—244 individuals and 94 organizations—in what has been one of the most closely watched selections in recent memory. Among the high-profile nominees was former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly claimed he deserves the prize, citing his role in avoiding international conflicts. However, analysts widely considered his chances slim.

Other notable contenders included Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms, credited with organizing humanitarian aid during conflict, and the Committee to Protect Journalists, recognized for defending press freedom worldwide.

Each Nobel Peace Prize carries a reward of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1.2 million USD), alongside a gold medal and diploma. The official award ceremony will take place on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

Machado’s selection is seen as a powerful message in support of democratic movements under authoritarian regimes. Her recognition comes at a time when Venezuela remains politically fractured, with President Nicolás Maduro tightening his grip on power since first assuming office in 2013.

In 2024, Venezuela’s Supreme Court upheld a ban preventing Machado from running for president, effectively removing the opposition’s leading candidate from the ballot. Despite this, she has continued to lead grassroots efforts calling for fair elections and international pressure on Maduro’s government.

Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese anti-nuclear advocacy group comprised of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

With this award, Maria Corina Machado joins a prestigious list of laureates who have advanced peace through non-violence, dialogue, and democratic ideals—even in the face of personal risk and systemic persecution.