Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado Wins Nobel Peace Prize — Here’s Why
- Cloud 9 News
- Oct 10
- 2 min read
Oslo, Norway - October 10, 2025 – In a powerful affirmation of the fight against authoritarianism, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for her "tireless work promoting democratic rights" and courageous resistance to President Nicolás Maduro's regime.The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Machado as a "key unifying figure" in Venezuela's fractured opposition, crediting her with meeting all three criteria from Alfred Nobel's will: fraternity between nations, abolition of armies, and peace congresses—through her nonviolent push for free elections and human rights.
Machado, 56, a former lawmaker and economist who won Venezuela's opposition primary in October 2023 with over 90% of the vote, has become the face of resistance against 25 years of socialist rule under the Chavismo movement. Barred from running in the July 2024 presidential election by the Maduro-controlled Supreme Court on dubious corruption charges, she threw her support behind Edmundo González Urrutia, who international observers say defeated Maduro but was denied certification.Currently in hiding after an October 2024 arrest warrant, Machado faces threats but continues to rally supporters via social media and clandestine meetings, embodying nonviolent defiance amid widespread protests that have drawn global condemnation.
"This prize is not mine alone—it belongs to the millions of Venezuelans who refuse to surrender our democracy," Machado said in a video message from an undisclosed location, dedicating the award to U.S. President Donald Trump for his "unwavering support" in imposing sanctions that have isolated Maduro. Her three adult children, living abroad for safety, joined the tribute, highlighting the personal toll of her activism. As the first Venezuelan laureate and the sixth from Latin America—following figures like Rigoberta Menchú and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel—the win underscores the region's democratic struggles.
The announcement, overshadowed by U.S. political turbulence, drew swift applause from world leaders. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres hailed Machado as a "beacon of hope," while Brazilian President Lula da Silva urged Maduro to respect electoral integrity.Maduro's government dismissed the prize as a "Yankee plot," vowing to intensify crackdowns. In Washington, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Well deserved! Maria is a warrior—Venezuela will be free soon!"
Machado's journey began in the 1990s founding Súmate, a civic group monitoring elections, and serving briefly in Congress from 2011 to 2014 before expulsion for protesting against Maduro.Her 2023 primary victory galvanized a youth-led movement, with polls showing her leading Maduro by 30 points before her disqualification.The Nobel, carrying a 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million) purse, will be presented in Oslo on December 10, though security concerns may force a virtual acceptance.
As Venezuela grapples with hyperinflation, mass emigration—over 7.7 million since 2014—and disputed elections, Machado's honor amplifies calls for international intervention, potentially tipping the scales in a crisis that has reshaped the hemisphere.
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