Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.

Axar.az reports, citing Al Arabiya, she won “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,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said in its citation.

Early life

Machado was born on October 7, 1967, in Caracas, Venezuela. She trained as an industrial engineer and over time became active in civil society and politics.

She co-founded the civil association Sumate, which focused on electoral oversight and transparency, and later helped found Vente Venezuela, a liberal political movement.

From 2011 until 2014, Machado served as a member of Venezuela’s National Assembly, representing the state of Miranda. Her term was cut short amid disputes over constitutional interpretations and political maneuvers by governing forces.

In recent years, Machado has become a symbolic opposition figure, especially after the 2023–2024 election cycle in Venezuela. Although she won the opposition primary overwhelmingly, she was formally barred from running in the 2024 presidential election by the ruling authorities.

She then backed Edmundo González as the unified opposition candidate.

Her opposition stance has come at high personal risk. She has reportedly lived in hiding within Venezuela amid threats, disqualifications, and legal maneuvers to silence her.

Why she won the Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Committee cited Machado’s role as 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.” Chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes noted that despite serious threats to her life, she chose to remain in Venezuela, a decision that “inspired millions.”

According to Reuters, her award recognizes her “significant contributions to peace and democracy” in a country under prolonged political and humanitarian crisis. The Committee praised her for “keeping the flame of democracy burning amidst a growing darkness.”

Her Nobel win also outpaced speculative front-runners in 2025, particularly US President Donald Trump, whose later lobbying for the prize failed to sway the committee.

Previous recognitions

In 2024, she and Edmundo González were awarded the Sakharov Prize by the European Parliament for their role in defending democratic thought in Venezuela.

Also in 2024, Machado received the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize from the Council of Europe.

Earlier in 2025, she was awarded the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage.

These honors had already elevated her profile as a leading human rights and pro-democracy voice within Venezuela and internationally.