The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader, María 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 democracy.”
US President Donald Trump, who had been nominated for the prize and publicly campaigned for it, missed out on the award.
Chair of the committee, Jorgen Watne Frydnes said Machado, a prominent figure in Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement, has emerged as a unifying force among a once-divided opposition, advocating for free elections and representative government amid the country’s deepening authoritarian rule.
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The committee noted her role in founding Súmate, an organisation dedicated to democratic development, and her longstanding efforts to uphold judicial independence, human rights, and popular representation.
“Venezuela has evolved from a relatively democratic and prosperous country to a brutal, authoritarian state that is now suffering a humanitarian and economic crisis,” the committee stated in its announcement.
The committee added that she has kept “the flame of democracy burning against a growing darkness.”
It emphasised that under the current regime, most Venezuelans live in poverty, with nearly 8 million people fleeing the country due to repression, election rigging, and violence against citizens.
Ahead of Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, Machado was barred from running by the government but supported opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia.
The opposition mobilised hundreds of thousands of volunteers as election observers, documenting results that showed a clear victory for their side, though the regime refused to acknowledge the outcome and retained power.
The committee praised Machado’s commitment to peaceful resistance, stating that she “has shown that the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace” and embodies hope for a future where citizens’ rights are protected.
Currently in hiding due to threats against her life, Machado has remained in Venezuela, inspiring millions with her determination.
Trump, who secured a second term in the White House after the 2024 US election, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by several Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia for his role in brokering an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida for his broader foreign policy achievements.
The president has repeatedly claimed he deserves the award, citing his administration’s efforts in international diplomacy and stating that he “stopped eight wars.”
Despite the nominations and Trump’s public insistence, the committee selected Machado, underscoring its focus on defenders of democracy in the face of authoritarianism.
The Nobel Peace Prize includes a medal, a diploma, and a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1 million).
Machado joins a list of laureates that includes figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Malala Yousafzai, all recognised for their contributions to peace and human rights.
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