Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize

Maria Corina Machado at a protest in January 2025. (Photo: REUTERS)

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long struggle for democracy and human rights. This is a historic moment for Venezuela’s opposition movement.

Machado, 58, leads the centrist political party Vente Venezuela and has long been one of President Nicolás Maduro’s most vocal critics. Once seen as a frontrunner to challenge Maduro in last year’s election, she was barred from running, forcing her into hiding amid a government crackdown on dissent.

In announcing the award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Machado for her “unwavering commitment to democratic principles, civil rights, and nonviolent resistance in the face of authoritarian repression.”

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomed the decision, saying it underscores the “urgent need for renewed global attention to political freedoms and human rights abuses in Venezuela.” Here’s OHCHR spokesperson Tamim Al-Khitan.

Machado, who joined the opposition movement more than two decades ago, has consistently advocated for international pressure on Caracas to restore democratic institutions. Her supporters celebrated the news in Caracas, waving Venezuelan flags and chanting “Libertad” — freedom.