Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee honored her 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.”
Ms. Machado rose from the fringes of Venezuelan politics to ignite a powerful social movement, bringing thousands into the streets before a pivotal election. This resurgence followed years of political apathy, during which President Nicolás Maduro’s government suppressed protests and jailed dissidents, leading to a massive exodus from the country. In 2024, she championed an opposition candidate against Mr. Maduro in a presidential race widely seen as fraudulent, later going into hiding after the candidate’s defeat. Independent election observers from the Carter Center had found the vote count to be accurate in favor of the opposition, despite Mr. Maduro claiming victory. Less than a year later, Venezuela’s electoral council, loyal to Maduro, declared an overwhelming win for his party, with critics calling the process a performance due to the absence of independent monitors.
David Scheffer, an international law scholar, praised the Nobel Committee’s choice, stating that they “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.”
This prestigious award follows previous recognitions: last year, the Nobel Peace Prize was given to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization representing atomic bomb survivors who advocate for nuclear disarmament. In 2023, the honor went to Narges Mohammadi, Iran’s most prominent human rights activist.
Insights into the Nobel Peace Prize and Other Key Developments:
- A Secretive Selection: The Nobel committee considers thousands of nominations each year, with the official list remaining confidential. This year saw 338 candidates nominated (244 individuals and 94 organizations). The final decision is made in secret by a five-person committee appointed by the Norwegian Parliament.
- The Full Roster of Nobel Prizes: This announcement for peace concludes a week of Nobel Prizes across various fields in the arts and sciences.
- US-Venezuela Tensions: Relations between the United States and Venezuela have intensified recently. Following President Trump’s assertion of an armed conflict with drug cartels, his administration initiated military strikes in the Caribbean. Some of his senior aides are advocating for the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from office.
- Trump’s Pursuit of the Prize: Former President Trump has openly expressed his long-standing desire for the Nobel Peace Prize, often lamenting privately and publicly about not receiving it. Several figures, including leaders from Israel, Pakistan, and Cambodia, have nominated him. However, this year’s award focused on achievements in 2024, prior to Mr. Trump’s return to the White House. The Norwegian Nobel Committee maintains that its decisions are guided solely by Alfred Nobel’s principles, irrespective of public campaigns, as stated by its chair, Jorgen Watne Frydnes.
About Last Year’s Peace Prize Winner: Nihon Hidankyo
The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize recognized Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese movement dedicated to eliminating nuclear weapons. Composed of survivors from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, members have spent their lives sharing stories of immense loss and suffering to underscore the catastrophic potential of nuclear war.
Established in 1956, Nihon Hidankyo became a crucial advocate for the social and economic rights of atomic bomb survivors. The group has amassed thousands of survivor testimonies and sent delegations to international conferences to rally support for nuclear disarmament. In 2024, over 100,000 survivors of the 1945 bombings were still alive. Many faced profound guilt and radiation-induced illnesses, often ostracized in Japan as stark reminders of the atomic devastation.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee commended Nihon Hidankyo for “its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.” Members like Terumi Tanaka, co-chair, testified at United Nations Special Sessions on Disarmament in 1978 and 1982, advocating for a nuclear-free world amidst rising Cold War tensions. Today, nine nations possess nuclear weapons, with nearly 13,000 in the global stockpile, yet nuclear weapons have not been used in war since the attacks on Japan.
Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the Nobel committee chairman, noted that the survivors “help us to describe the indescribable, to think the unthinkable, and to somehow grasp the incomprehensible pain and suffering caused by nuclear weapons.” Mr. Tanaka continues to campaign against nuclear weapons, urging younger generations to join the cause, and has warned of increasing reliance on nuclear deterrence potentially leading to another global conflict.
Trump’s Long-Standing Desire for the Nobel Peace Prize
Former President Trump has long coveted the Nobel Peace Prize. When asked about the announcement date, he often deflected, suggesting his political leanings might preclude him from the honor despite his perceived achievements. He publicly stated, “I’m not politicking for it… I have a lot of people that are.”
His ambition was evident in his consistent lobbying efforts over the years. The 2025 prize announcement came shortly after he claimed a “major diplomatic triumph” in brokering a peace deal in the Gaza Strip, a conflict he readily added to his list of resolved disputes. Despite this, his eligibility for the 2025 award was questionable, as Nobel prizes typically recognize achievements from the preceding year, and the committee’s decision was made before his return to the White House in 2024. Furthermore, critics pointed to his domestic policies, including actions against dissent and academic freedom, and foreign policy choices, like siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as factors potentially undermining his candidacy.
Trump has frequently expressed his belief that he deserves the award, which has been granted to four other U.S. presidents. He often contrasted his efforts with former President Barack Obama’s 2009 win, which occurred less than nine months into his term and was acknowledged by Obama himself as being for “slight” accomplishments at the time. Trump’s public complaints about not receiving the prize have been ongoing, marked by a mix of indignation and resignation.
Nobel committee members have also weighed in. Jorgen Frydnes previously noted Trump’s role in the “erosion of freedom of expression,” and Nina Graeger of the Peace Research Institute Oslo described Trump’s campaign for the prize as “unusual,” emphasizing that the award values “sustainable and lasting peace.” While the committee has made controversial choices before, Ms. Graeger suggested that a candidate does not “have to be perfect,” but a holistic view of their actions is essential.
Despite his persistent lobbying, Trump has often publicly downplayed his desire for the award, claiming he only cares that “the people know” his contributions to peace. He stated in a September speech, “I don’t want it. I want the country to get it,” even while suggesting he deserved it. His speeches, including one at the United Nations General Assembly, often highlighted his peace-making efforts, framing the “real prize” as saving lives rather than winning accolades.
Ms. Graeger also highlighted how some of Trump’s foreign policy objectives contradict Nobel criteria, citing U.S. actions against Iran’s nuclear program, withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, and cuts to humanitarian aid. These decisions, alongside domestic policies infringing on democratic rights, complicate a potential Nobel candidacy.
Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Luke Broadwater and David E. Sanger contributed reporting.