By our reporter 10.10.2025
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Venezuela opposition leader and activist María Corina Machado.
Speaking on the choice on Friday Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee, said Machado has been a
“key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided — an opposition that found common ground in the demand for free elections and representative government.”
“In the past year, Miss Machado has been forced to live in hiding. Despite serious threats against her life, she has remained in the country, a choice that has inspired millions. When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist.”
Machado was set to run against Nicholas Maduro, in the July 2024 election but the government disqualified her. The lead-up to the election saw widespread repression including disqualifications, arrests and human rights violations.
Machado an industrial engineer went into hiding and has not been seen in public since January.
There had been persistent speculation ahead of the announcement about the possibility of the prize going to U.S. President Donald Trump, fueled in part by Trump himself, amplified by this week’s approval of his plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
