Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote democratic values and resist authoritarian rule in Venezuela. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the decision on Friday, citing Machado’s leadership in challenging President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Machado, 58, an industrial engineer by training, was barred from running in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election following a court ruling. Despite living in hiding, she has remained a prominent figure in the country’s pro-democracy movement.
In a phone call with Nobel Committee Secretary Kristian Berg Harpviken, Machado expressed gratitude and humility. “I thank you so much, but I hope you understand this is a movement, this is an achievement of a whole society. I am just one person. I certainly do not deserve it,” she said. The call was shared publicly by the committee.
The Nobel Committee emphasized the importance of recognizing individuals who stand against authoritarian regimes. “When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,” the committee stated.
Political Reactions and Ceremony Uncertainty
The award has drawn criticism from the White House. In a statement, spokesperson Steven Cheung said, “President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives… The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.” The remarks follow recent developments in Gaza, where Trump announced a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal earlier this week.
It remains unclear whether Machado will be able to attend the Nobel ceremony in Oslo on December 10. If she is unable to travel, she would join a list of laureates historically prevented from attending, including Andrei Sakharov (1975), Lech Walesa (1983), and Aung San Suu Kyi (1991).
Machado is the first Venezuelan and sixth Latin American recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The award includes a monetary prize of 11 million Swedish crowns (approximately $1.2 million).
International Support and Implications
The United Nations human rights office welcomed the award, describing it as a reflection of Venezuelans’ aspirations for free and fair elections. Human Rights Watch’s Americas director, Juanita Goebertus Estrada, said the recognition could increase international pressure on the Maduro administration.
Joergen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Nobel Committee, expressed hope that the award would energize Venezuela’s opposition. “We hope that the entire opposition will have renewed energy to continue the work for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy,” he told Reuters.
The United States has long supported Venezuela’s democratic opposition. Despite President Trump’s public statements suggesting he deserved the prize, analysts say the committee’s decision reflects its independence. “The democratic opposition of Venezuela is something that the U.S. has been eager to support. So, in that sense, it would be hard for anyone to constitute this as an insult to Trump,” said Halvard Leira of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.
Broader Context
The Nobel Peace Prize is the fifth award announced this week, following prizes in literature, chemistry, physics, and medicine. Last year’s Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese grassroots organization of atomic bomb survivors.
The committee confirmed that its decision was made prior to the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire deal. Frydnes declined to speculate on future nominations, stating, “It’s not our task to tell other people or other countries what to do, our task is to give out the peace prize…. So we’ll have to see next year.”
The Nobel Peace Prize will be formally presented in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
