Copenhagen, Sweden — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to restore democracy in authoritarian-ruled Venezuela.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Friday in Oslo that she Machado was being honored “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.”
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Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes described Machado as “a brave and committed champion of peace” and “a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness.”
Machado, the committee said, has showed that “the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace,” embodying hope for a future where citizens’ fundamental rights are protected and their voices heard.
As the leader of the democracy movement in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado is one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times,” the committee noted, praising her role in uniting a once deeply divided opposition around the goal of free and representative elections.
“At a time when democracy is under threat, it is more important than ever to defend this common ground,” Frydnes said.The committee recalled that Venezuela “has evolved from a relatively democratic and prosperous country to a brutal, authoritarian state that is now suffering a humanitarian and economic crisis” mired in humanitarian and economic crisis, with millions living in poverty and nearly eight million forced to flee.
It also cited the regime’s systematic repression through electoral manipulation, judicial persecution and imprisonment of opponents.
Machado, founder of the civil organization Súmate, has advocated for free and fair elections for more than two decades.
Her presidential candidacy for Venezuela’s 2024 elections was blocked by authorities, and she has since lived in hiding due to threats to her life.
“Despite serious threats against her life she has remained in the country, a choice that has inspired millions of people,” Frydnes said.
The Nobel Committee said Machado fulfills the three principles outlined by Alfred Nobel for the Peace Prize: resistance to militarization, dedication to human rights, and steadfast pursuit of a peaceful democratic transition.
Each Nobel Prize this year carries a monetary award of 11 million Swedish crowns (about $1.2 million). The Peace Prize will be presented in Oslo on Dec.10, alongside ceremonies in Stockholm for the other Nobel awards.
The committee said it was too soon to know whether Machado will be able to travel to Oslo to collect the Nobel Peace Prize, citing unresolved security concerns.
“It is too early to say. We always hope to have the laureates with us in Oslo, but there is a serious security situation that needs to be resolved first,” said Frydnes said.
Asked about the possible impact of the prize on Machado’s situation in Venezuela, Frydnes said he hopes it will strengthen her cause.
“It’s one of the toughest dilemmas the committee faces each year, especially when the laureate lives in hiding or under threat. She has been and continues to be active in Venezuela. We believe this prize will support her cause, not limit it,” he said.
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