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.” This significant honor comes as Ms. Machado remains in hiding, a testament to the challenges she faces in her homeland.
Machado’s Rise and Enduring Struggle
Ms. Machado emerged from the political fringes to become a formidable force, uniting Venezuela’s fragmented opposition before the 2024 election. Her rise marked a shift after years of political apathy, spurred by President Nicolás Maduro’s government systematically crushing dissent and arresting opponents, which led to a massive exodus of Venezuelans from the country.
Despite being barred from running in the 2024 presidential race due to alleged financial irregularities, Ms. Machado threw her support behind another opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia. Although independent election observers from the Carter Center indicated that Mr. González decisively won, Mr. Maduro declared himself the victor in what was widely condemned as a rigged election. Following this, Ms. Machado was forced into hiding for her safety.
A Champion for Democracy
Born into a prominent steelmaking family, the 58-year-old Ms. Machado is an engineer and finance professional. Her political activism began in the early 2000s, co-founding Súmate, a voter rights group that challenged Hugo Chávez, Mr. Maduro’s predecessor. She served in the National Assembly, winning a record number of votes in 2010, and now leads the Vente Venezuela opposition party.
The Nobel Committee’s chair, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, noted the security risks involved in awarding the prize to Ms. Machado, stating the committee believes the award will bolster her cause and expressing hope for her attendance at the December ceremony.
Upon learning of her win, Ms. Machado shared her profound gratitude, saying, “This is an achievement of a whole society. I am just, you know, one person. I certainly do not deserve this.” She expressed her honor and humility on behalf of the Venezuelan people, confident that they “will prevail.”
International Reactions and Context
The decision to honor Ms. Machado quickly drew international attention. David Scheffer, an international law scholar, hailed her as “a courageous hero of peacemaking” working to protect her people from repression. Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a long-time advocate for Ms. Machado, had previously championed her Nobel nomination, praising her “resilience, tenacity, and patriotism.”
In recent weeks, tensions between the United States and Venezuela have heightened. The Trump administration has taken a firm stance against drug cartels, launching military strikes in the Caribbean and with top aides actively pushing for Mr. Maduro’s removal from office. Leaders of Ms. Machado’s movement have reportedly been in discussions with the Trump administration to coordinate strategies against Mr. Maduro and criminal organizations, even developing a “100-hour plan” for a power transfer post-Maduro’s ouster.
Former President Trump, who has publicly expressed his desire for a Nobel Peace Prize, saw his campaign for the award reflected in a comment from his White House communications director, Steven Cheung, who criticized the Nobel Committee for prioritizing “politics over peace.”
Nobel Peace Prize: A Legacy of Female Democracy Advocates
Ms. Machado’s award places her among a distinguished lineage of female democracy campaigners recognized by the Nobel Committee. Notably, Narges Mohammadi of Iran received the 2023 prize for her women’s rights activism, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar was honored in 1991 for her nonviolent struggle for democracy. Both Mohammadi and Aung San Suu Kyi were imprisoned at the time of their awards and remain so today, highlighting the severe risks these individuals undertake for their causes. Other notable female honorees include Tawakkol Karman of Yemen and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee of Liberia.
The Nobel Peace Prize selection process is notoriously secretive. Each year, hundreds of candidates are nominated, but the final decision rests with a five-person committee appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, with the winner receiving approximately $1.2 million.