OSLO — The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado, honouring her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
The announcement was made this morning in Oslo by Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, who personally informed Machado moments before the news became public. Overcome with emotion, the Venezuelan opposition leader reportedly said, “Oh my God… I have no words.”
Machado, one of Venezuela’s most prominent voices for democracy, has spent decades advocating for free and fair elections, the rule of law, and human rights in a country long gripped by authoritarian rule. In the past year, she has been forced into hiding amid threats to her life, yet she has refused to leave Venezuela — a decision that has inspired millions of her compatriots.
“When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,” the Committee stated. “Democracy depends on people who refuse to stay silent, who dare to step forward despite grave risk.”
Machado’s leadership has been pivotal in uniting Venezuela’s fragmented opposition. As founder of Súmate, an organisation promoting democratic participation, she has championed “ballots over bullets” for more than 20 years.
Ahead of the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, Machado was initially the opposition’s candidate before being barred from running by the regime. She later threw her support behind Edmundo González Urrutia, galvanising a nationwide volunteer movement to safeguard the vote. Despite the opposition’s clear victory, the government refused to recognise the results, clinging to power through repression and censorship.
The Nobel Committee noted that Machado’s steadfast commitment to peaceful resistance exemplifies the spirit of Alfred Nobel’s will, which calls for honouring those who advance fraternity among nations and promote peace.
“Maria Corina Machado has shown that the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace,” the Committee said. “She embodies the hope of a different future — one where citizens’ rights are protected, and their voices are heard.”
Venezuela, once one of Latin America’s most prosperous democracies, has faced years of political repression, economic collapse, and mass migration. Nearly eight million citizens have fled the country in search of freedom and stability.
The Nobel Committee’s decision places Machado among a historic line of peace laureates who have challenged dictatorship through nonviolent means.
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize will be formally presented in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.