“Maria Corina Machado meets all three criteria stated in Alfred Nobel’s will for the selection of a Peace Prize laureate. She has brought her country’s opposition together. She has never wavered in resisting the militarisation of Venezuelan society. She has been steadfast in her support for a peaceful transition to democracy“
Venezuelan opposition leader and activist María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her unwavering fight against authoritarianism and courageous defence of democracy. Called Venezuela’s “Iron Lady,” Machado remained in hiding for over 14 months after rejecting the results of a widely disputed election declared in favour of President Nicolás Maduro.
According to a statement by Norwegian Nobel Committee, “the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 goes to a brave and committed champion of peace – to a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness. She is receiving the Nobel Peace Prize 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. As the leader of the democracy movement in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado is one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.”
“In its long history, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has honoured brave women and men who have stood up to repression, who have carried the hope of freedom in prison cells, on the streets and in public squares, and who have shown by their actions that peaceful resistance can change the world. In the past year, Ms 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 of people.
“When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist. Democracy depends on people who refuse to stay silent, who dare to step forward despite grave risk, and who remind us that freedom must never be taken for granted, but must always be defended – with words, with courage and with determination.
“Maria Corina Machado meets all three criteria stated in Alfred Nobel’s will for the selection of a Peace Prize laureate. She has brought her country’s opposition together. She has never wavered in resisting the militarisation of Venezuelan society. She has been steadfast in her support for a peaceful transition to democracy.
“Maria Corina Machado has shown that the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace. She embodies the hope of a different future, one where the fundamental rights of citizens are protected, and their voices are heard. In this future, people will finally be free to live in peace,” it said.
The committee’s focus on Venezuela in a year dominated by US President Donald Trump’s repeated public statements that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize is significant.
According to the statement, “Venezuela has evolved from a relatively democratic and prosperous country to a brutal, authoritarian state that is now suffering a humanitarian and economic crisis. Most Venezuelans live in deep poverty, even as the few at the top enrich themselves. The violent machinery of the state is directed against the country’s own citizens. Nearly 8 million people have left the country. The opposition has been systematically suppressed by means of election rigging, legal prosecution and imprisonment.”
Meanwhile, according to reports, Norwegian politicians are now bracing for potential diplomatic repercussions in U.S.-Norway relations.
Notably, the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Thursday was quoted as saying that it had already made its decision on the 2025 Peace Prize laureate several days before Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire under a U.S.-brokered peace plan led by Trump.
Rather, the majority of Nobel experts and observers had called it “highly unlikely” that Trump would be awarded the prize—particularly given the current political situation in the United States. It is important to note that the Nobel Committee is an independent body, and the Norwegian government has no role in selecting laureates. “If Trump were to win, it would be one of the biggest surprises in the history of the Nobel Prize,” some analysts also said.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he deserves the Peace Prize—an honour previously awarded to former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2009 for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”
“He got a prize for doing nothing… He got elected, and they gave it to Obama for doing absolutely nothing but destroying our country… Obama was not a good president,” Trump was quoted as saying on Thursday, during an appearance with the Prime Minister of Finland following the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
In July, Trump reportedly contacted Jens Stoltenberg, Norway’s finance minister and the former NATO Secretary General, to inquire about the Nobel Prize. At the United Nations last month, Trump claimed he had ended seven “unendable wars,” telling world leaders: “Everyone says I should get the Nobel Peace Prize.”
