The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize To Maria Corina Machado.
It receives the Nobel Peace Prize for its tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the people of Venezuela and its struggle for a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.
As the leader of Venezuela’s democracy movement, Maria Corina Machado is one of the most prominent examples of civic courage in Latin America in recent times.
Marinaa Corina Machado7 October 1967Hey. Political Venezuelan An industrial engineer, she is currently a leader. Opposition In Venezuela. She was an elected member of the Venezuelan National Assembly From 2011 to 2014. She was awarded. Nobel Peace Prize 2025 «For her tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the people of Venezuela»
Ms Machado was a central and unifying figure in a once-divided political opposition – one that found common ground in demanding free elections and representative government. This is precisely what lies at the heart of democracy: our common willingness to defend the principles of people's governance, even when we disagree. At a time when democracy is under threat, it is more important than ever to defend this common ground.
Venezuela has gone from a relatively democratic and prosperous country to a brutal authoritarian one now suffering from a humanitarian and economic crisis. Most Venezuelans live in extreme poverty, while the few at the top are enriched. The violent state machine is directed against the country's citizens. Nearly 8 million people have left the country. Opposition was systematically suppressed by electoral fraud, prosecution, and imprisonment.
She spent years working for the freedom of the Venezuelan people.
Venezuela’s authoritarian regime makes politics extremely difficult. As the founder of Somati, an organization dedicated to democratic development, Ms. Machado has stood for free and fair elections for more than 20 years. "It was a choice of ballot boxes rather than bullets," she said. In political office and in her service to organizations since then, Ms Machado has advocated for judicial independence, human rights and popular representation. She spent years working for the freedom of the Venezuelan people.
Before the 2024 election, Ms Machado was the opposition candidate for president, but the regime blocked her candidacy. She then supported a representative of a different party, Edmundo Gonzيزlez Urrutia, in the election. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers rallied across political divisions. They were trained as election observers to ensure transparent and fair elections. Despite the risk of harassment, arrest and torture, citizens across the country were keen to monitor polling stations.
The opposition's collective efforts, both before and during the elections, were innovative, courageous, peaceful and democratic. The opposition received international support when its leaders published the numbers of votes collected from the country's constituencies, showing that the opposition had won by a clear margin.
Democracy is a prerequisite for lasting peace.
Democracy is a prerequisite for lasting peace. However, we live in a world where democracy is declining, where more and more authoritarian regimes are defying norms and resorting to violence. The Venezuelan regime’s rigid clinging to power and its repression of populations is not unique in the world. We see the same trends as the globally: the abuse of the rule of law by those who hold power, the silencing of free media, the imprisonment of critics, and the push societies toward authoritarian rule and militaris.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has honored brave women and men who stood up to repression.
In its long history, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has honored brave women and men who have stood up to oppression, carrying 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. Last year, Ms Machado was forced to live in hiding. Despite serious threats against her life, she stayed in the country, a choice that inspired millions of people.
When autocrats take power, it is important to recognize the brave defenders of freedom who rise up and resist. Democracy depends on people who refuse to be silent, who dare to move forward despite the grave dangers, and who remind us that freedom must not be taken for granted, but must always be defended – with words, courage, and determination.
Maria Corina Machado meets Alfred Nobel's three criteria mentioned in his will to select a peace prize winner. She gathered her country ' s opposition together, never hesitated to resist the militarization of Venezuelan society, which was firm in its support for a peaceful transition to democracy.
Maria Corina Machado has shown that the tools of democracy are also the instruments of peace, embodying the hope of a different future, a future in which the fundamental rights of citizens are protected and their voices heard, in this future, people will finally be free to live in peace.
