OSLO — Venezuelan democracy activist and opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her unwavering commitment to democratic reform in a country facing deep political and humanitarian turmoil.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela” and her efforts to lead a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. Committee Chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes described Venezuela as having transformed into a “brutal authoritarian state,” with nearly eight million citizens forced to flee amid economic collapse and repression.
Machado, who has lived in hiding for the past year, reacted with disbelief in a video message, saying, “I am in shock.”
The committee highlighted her role as a “key, unifying figure” in Venezuela’s fragmented opposition and called her “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.”
The award draws global attention to Venezuela’s ongoing crisis and the resilience of those fighting for democratic freedoms under extreme pressure.
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