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María Corina Machado receives Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle for democracy in Venezuela

Q24N — Venezuelan activist and political leader María Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize this Friday, in recognition of her tireless work defending democratic rights in Venezuela and for her role in seeking a peaceful transition to a representative system.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized Machado’s career as one of the most influential and courageous figures in the region.

“The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to a champion committed to peace, to a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid growing darkness,” the official statement said.

Machado has dedicated more than two decades to promoting free and fair elections, through initiatives such as Súmate, an organization she founded to strengthen democratic development in Venezuela.

“It was a choice of bullets or votes,” the Committee recalled, citing the leader’s conviction in rejecting violence as a political option.

In her role as opposition leader, she managed to become a symbol of unity in a historically divided movement, rallying different sectors under a common banner: the defense of the vote and popular representation.

“The heart of democracy lies in our willingness to defend the principle of government by the people, even when we disagree,” the Committee stated, referring to Machado’s ability to build bridges in times of political division.

A country in crisis

The awarding of the Nobel Prize occurs amid the deepest crisis in Venezuela’s recent history. According to the Committee, the country “has gone from being relatively democratic and prosperous to becoming an authoritarian state, marked by poverty, the exile of nearly eight million people, and systematic repression against the opposition.”

In this context, Machado faced exclusion from her presidential candidacy in 2024 when she supported another opposition representative, Edmundo González Urrutia.

Despite the restrictions, thousands of volunteers mobilized as election observers across the country to document the voting records and prevent vote manipulation, risking arrest, harassment, and torture.

“The collective effort of the opposition was innovative and courageous, peaceful and democratic,” the Committee noted, emphasizing that the data collected confirmed the opposition’s victory, even though the regime refused to recognize the results.

Over the past year, Machado has had to live in hiding due to threats against his life, but he has remained in Venezuela as a gesture of commitment to his cause.

“Despite serious threats, he has remained in his country, a decision that has inspired millions,” the Committee stated.

The recognition highlights that his work reflects the principles of Alfred Nobel’s testament: nonviolent resistance, unity of peoples, and the struggle for a peaceful transition.

“María Corina Machado has demonstrated that the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace. She represents the hope for a different future, where citizens’ fundamental rights are respected and their voices heard,” the organization emphasized.

An award with a global message

The Committee’s decision falls within an international context in which it emphasized, “more and more authoritarian regimes abuse the rule of law, silence the free press, and imprison critics.” In the face of this trend, the Nobel Peace Prize recognizes those, like Machado, who resist with words, courage, and determination.

“When authoritarians cling to power, it is crucial to recognize the defenders of freedom who stand up and resist,” the statement concluded.

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