The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights” and her “struggle for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. ”
“The Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 goes to a brave and committed champion of peace – to a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness,” the Committee said in its announcement.
Prior to the announcement, there had been speculation about
US President Donald Trump potentially winning the award.
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Machado, a central figure in Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement, is a powerful symbol of civilian courage in Latin America. For decades, she has defied the repressive regime of Nicolás Maduro, enduring threats, arrests, and political persecution.
Despite living under constant risk, she has remained in Venezuela, inspiring millions through her insistence on peaceful resistance and free elections.
The Nobel Committee described her as a unifying force in a once-fractured opposition, whose leadership helped mobilise volunteers across political divides. During Venezuela’s disputed 2024 election—when the regime barred her candidacy—Machado backed opposition representative Edmundo González Urrutia.
She oversaw citizen-led efforts to monitor polling stations, document tallies, and expose electoral fraud, even as the government sought to suppress dissent.
In its statement, the Committee said, “Maria Corina Machado has shown that the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace. She embodies the hope of a different future, one where the fundamental rights of citizens are protected, and their voices are heard.”
Who is Maria Corina Machado?
- Political leader and activist:
National Coordinator of Vente Venezuela, a liberal political party she co-founded in 2013, and a former Member of the National Assembly (2010–2015).
- Founder of democracy platforms:
Helped establish Súmate, a civil society group promoting free elections, and SoyVenezuela, a coalition advocating democratic transition.
- Voice of resistance:
Expelled from parliament in 2014 after denouncing human rights abuses at the Organisation of American States. She has faced charges of treason and conspiracy, travel bans, and political disqualification.
- International recognition:
Named among BBC’s 100 Most Influential Women (2018); recipient of the Charles T. Manatt Prize (2014), Libertad Cortes de Cádiz (2015), and the Liberal International Freedom Prize (2019).
- Economic vision:
Advocates privatisation of Venezuela’s oil industry, re-engagement with international financial institutions, and liberalisation to rebuild the economy—an approach likened to Argentina’s Milei.
- Educational background:
Holds a degree in industrial engineering from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and a finance specialisation from IESA.
What is the nomination process?
The process for nominating a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize is strict and highly confidential. Nominations can be submitted by individuals who meet certain qualifications, such as members of national governments, professors in relevant fields, previous laureates, and directors of peace research institutes. Self-nominations are not accepted. The deadline for nominations is typically January 31 each year, and nominations are kept private for 50 years.
Once nominations are received, the Norwegian Nobel Committee, responsible for selecting the laureates, compiles a list of candidates for review. The Committee assesses each nominee’s contribution to peace, aiming for a unanimous decision. In rare cases where consensus is not reached, the laureates are chosen by a simple majority. The Nobel Peace Prize is distinct in that it is awarded in Oslo, Norway, rather than Stockholm, where other Nobel Prizes are presented.
Key facts about the Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize was established by Alfred Nobel’s will in 1895, designed to recognise individuals or organisations that have made significant contributions to peace, fraternity between nations, or the reduction of military forces. The prize has been awarded 106 times since its inception, though it has been withheld on 19 occasions, often due to the absence of deserving candidates. Notably, the Peace Prize is sometimes shared between two or three recipients who have made joint efforts towards peace.
Among the most prestigious recipients are those who have worked for human rights, disarmament, and the protection of women and children. Some of the youngest laureates include Malala Yousafzai, awarded at 17, while the oldest was Joseph Rotblat at 86. Of the 143 laureates, 20 have been women, with Bertha von Suttner being the first in 1905.
