Venezuelan democracy activist and opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her relentless struggle to promote democratic rights and advocate for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in her country.
Announcing the decision on Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her courage in leading a non-violent movement toward justice and freedom.”
The committee described Machado as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America” and a unifying figure in a once-divided opposition movement.
“This is precisely what lies at the heart of democracy — our shared willingness to defend the principles of popular rule, even when we disagree,” the committee stated.
“At a time when democracy is under threat, it is more important than ever to defend this common ground.”
Since 2014, over eight million Venezuelans have fled the country amid worsening economic and political crises. The turmoil deepened under President Nicolás Maduro, whose 2024 reelection was widely condemned as fraudulent by both domestic and international observers.
Machado, who emerged as the opposition’s presidential candidate, was disqualified by the regime. She later endorsed Edmundo González, another opposition figure, who was believed to have won by a large margin. Maduro’s disputed victory triggered nationwide protests and a violent government crackdown — code-named Operation Tun Tun — marked by mass arrests, killings, and suppression of dissent.
Forced into hiding after the election, Machado remained in Venezuela, continuing to inspire millions. The Nobel Committee described her selection as “a choice that has inspired millions of people around the world.”
Trump’s Bid for Nobel Falls Short
US President Donald Trump, who has openly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize, was also among those speculated to be considered this year.
In August, his administration doubled the bounty for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, labeling the Venezuelan leader “one of the world’s largest narco-traffickers.”
Despite his self-styled image as a “candidate of peace,” Trump’s record has been marked by deepening global tensions.
Barely a month into his second term, he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and publicly backed Israel’s war in Gaza. He also failed to deliver on his campaign pledge to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, instead ordering air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and demanding Iran’s “total surrender.”
In addition, Trump launched a global tariff war six months into his second term, heightening trade tensions with China while cutting humanitarian aid to several vulnerable nations.
Nonetheless, he has taken credit for mediating a truce between India and Pakistan, a move that led Pakistan and later Israel’s Netanyahu to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year.
Just hours before Machado was announced as the winner, Trump reposted a video on his Truth Social platform arguing that he deserved the award.
However, the coveted prize once again eluded him.
Responding to questions about external pressure, Jørgen Frydnes, chair of the Nobel Peace Committee, said such lobbying was not new.
“Throughout the long history of the prize, the committee has faced campaigns and media attention and receives thousands of letters from people who believe their actions contribute to peace,” Frydnes explained.
“But our decisions are based solely on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”
As of press time, President Trump has not publicly commented on the announcement.
