In a momentous announcement, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized 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.” Machado has been living in hiding since last year.
Ms. Machado rose from the political background to unite Venezuela’s often-divided opposition before the 2024 election. This resurgence occurred after years of widespread political apathy, during which President Nicolás Maduro’s government brutally suppressed protests and arrested dissidents, leading to a massive emigration from the country.
Despite being barred from running herself, she endorsed an opposition candidate against Mr. Maduro. The election, widely considered rigged, saw Mr. Maduro claim victory, after which Ms. Machado went into hiding.
Upon receiving the news from the Norwegian Nobel Institute, a video shared by the committee shows a humbled Ms. Machado exclaiming, “Oh my god. Well, I have no words.” She added, “This is an achievement of a whole society. I am just, you know, one person. I certainly do not deserve this.” She also expressed immense gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people and confidence that they “will prevail” in their struggle.
International law scholar David Scheffer highlighted the significance of the committee’s choice, stating, “The Nobel committee had elevated a courageous hero of peacemaking — someone who works among her own people to protect them against repression and atrocity crimes in order to shape a more peaceful and democratic world.”
Here are further details surrounding this year’s award:
- A Legacy of Female Democracy Advocates: María Corina Machado joins a distinguished group of women honored with the Peace Prize for their advocacy. Previous recipients include Narges Mohammadi of Iran (2023) for women’s rights and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar (1991) for her nonviolent fight for democracy. Notably, both Mohammadi and Aung San Suu Kyi were imprisoned at the time of their awards and remain so today, facing poor health.
- The Nobel Process: The Nobel Committee operates in secrecy, selecting a recipient from a pool of hundreds of candidates nominated by various individuals and organizations. This year, 338 candidates were considered. The five-person committee, appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, makes its final selection confidentially.
- U.S.-Venezuela Relations: Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have recently escalated. President Trump’s administration has conducted military strikes in the Caribbean against what it claims are drug cartel boats, and some of his top advisors are actively seeking Mr. Maduro’s removal from office.
- President Trump’s Nobel Ambitions: For years, President Trump has openly expressed his desire for a Nobel Peace Prize, often lamenting privately and publicly that he has not received the honor. Several international figures and groups have nominated him. However, this year’s award focuses on achievements from 2024, predating Mr. Trump’s potential return to the White House. The Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, clarified that their decisions are guided solely by Alfred Nobel’s principles, unaffected by public campaigns.
- Other Nobel Laureates: The Peace Prize announcement concludes a week of Nobel awards across various fields of arts and sciences.
The 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, where Ms. Machado was the driving force behind opposition candidate Edmundo González, was widely considered unfair. Independent observers like the Carter Center indicated a decisive victory for González, but President Maduro declared himself the winner. Similarly, less than a year later, Venezuela’s electoral council, loyal to Maduro, proclaimed an overwhelming victory for his party in another election lacking independent oversight, leading critics to label it a “performance.”
Marlise Simons, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Luke Broadwater, and David E. Sanger contributed to this report.