Oslo, Norway — October 10, 2025
Venezuelan opposition activist María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her indefatigable struggle to restore democracy to Venezuela. The 58-year-old industrial engineer and political activist, who lives in exile, was honored for her courageous resistance to authoritarian rule under President Nicolás Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela since 2013.
In an emotional telephone call to Kristian Berg Harpviken, Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Machado was modest and emphasized the collective struggle.
My God… I don’t know what to say. Thank you very much, but I hope you can see that this is a movement — this is a victory of an entire society. I am but a single individual. I definitely don’t deserve it,” she stated in a later phone call posted on the Nobel Committee’s official social media channels.
A Symbol of Democratic Resistance
Machado became a leading voice in the Venezuelan opposition after having been barred from running in the 2024 presidential election by Venezuela’s Maduro-aligned judiciary. In spite of widespread international outcry against the electoral disqualification, Maduro was sworn in for a third term in January 2025 as political turmoil and economic distress persisted.
The Nobel Committee quoted Machado as an inspiration for resistance to tyranny:
When tyrants seize power, there are important to observe courageous champions of freedom who rise and fight back,” the committee stated in its official citation.
Her honor is a milestone moment — the first Venezuelan to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, the sixth Latin American laureate.
Service to the People of Venezuela — and Donald Trump
Hours after word spread, Machado tweeted on X (formerly Twitter):
I accept this award on behalf of the suffering Venezuelan people — and President Trump for his strong support of our cause!
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has in the past claimed that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize himself, has not hesitated to condemn Maduro’s regime. Trump and ever since his time as president have supported sanctions and diplomatic estrangement of Maduro’s regime, as have over 50 countries that have refused to legitimate the Venezuelan president.
Machado’s public support for Trump elicited both praise and criticism from his backers and critics. Some saw it as a nod to American support for Venezuela’s democratic cause, while others criticized the timing — especially given that Trump recently announced a ceasefire initiative between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
White House Criticism and Geopolitical Context
Steven Cheung, a spokesman for a Trump political team, responded to the Nobel Committee’s decision by saying:
“President Trump will continue to make peace deals, end wars, and save lives. The Nobel Committee has again shown it values politics over peace.”
The United Nations Human Rights Office did, however, get Machado’s award as a symbol of the Venezuelan people’s desire for democratic rule and free elections.
Can She Collect the Prize?
It is questionable if Machado can attend the elitist award-giving ceremony in Oslo on December 10, the day that marks the anniversary of the passing away of Alfred Nobel. Her presence can be thwarted by the Maduro regime under her status as a political fugitive in her own country.
If she cannot make it, Machado will join an elite group of laureates unable to accept the prize in person — Andrei Sakharov (1975), Lech Wałęsa (1983), and Aung San Suu Kyi (1991) being notable members of that group.
Background: A Nation in Crisis
Venezuela has suffered a long-standing crisis of hyperinflation, mass migration, and widespread human rights abuse. More than 7 million Venezuelans have left the nation since 2015, seeking refuge across Latin America and further abroad.
Maduro’s government has been accused by international observers and the United Nations of institutionalized repression, including arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, and stifling of political opponents. Nevertheless, Maduro stays in power with the backing of military leaders and key supporters such as Russia, China, and Iran.
The United States has also imposed sanctions on Maduro and other senior officials. The Trump administration has also launched military operations against drug trafficking in the region — such as strikes against suspected cartel vessels off the coast of Venezuela. Machado publicly backed the operation, declaring that it was “targeted to save lives” in both countries.
Nomination and Endorsement from U.S. Elected Officials
Machado was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in August 2024 by then-Senator and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside several U.S. congresspeople. Her nomination was accompanied by bipartisan members who view her as a beacon of hope for freedom’s cause in the Western Hemisphere.
Rubio described the award as “a historic recognition of the Venezuelan people’s courage and of Machado’s brave leadership in the face of dictatorship.”
What About Gaza and Future Awards?
A few had jokingly predicted that Trump’s most recent diplomatic achievement in Gaza might one day result in a Nobel nomination. Joergen Watne Frydnes, nonetheless, the Chair of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee clarified that the 2025 prize — technically for work done in 2024 — had already been decided upon before the Gaza ceasefire announcement.
“Our task is not to tell countries what to do. It is to recognize efforts that contribute meaningfully to peace. We’ll have to see what next year brings,” Frydnes told Reuters.
An Enduring Legacy
This honor ensures María Corina Machado’s place in history — not just as a Venezuelan politician but as a symbol of global nonviolent resistance to tyranny. Her recognition is a testament to the ongoing relevance of democratic principles, even against violent suppression and political exile.
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million USD) is the fifth Nobel Prize awarded this year, following those in Literature, Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine. Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese peace organization of atomic bomb survivors, received the 2024 Peace Prize.
