The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado for her tireless work defending democratic rights in Venezuela and her efforts to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.

nobel peace prize

Oslo 20251010. The Chairman of the Nobel Committee, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, announces that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is the laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025, in Oslo, Norway, October 10, 2025. Rodrigo Freitas/NTB via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NORWAY OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NORWAY.

The committee described Machado as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times,” highlighting her role as a unifying figure in a previously divided opposition. Her leadership has focused on the pursuit of free elections, judicial independence, and human rights, even as Venezuela suffers severe authoritarian repression and a humanitarian crisis.

nobel peace prize

FILE PHOTO: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures at a protest ahead of the Friday inauguration of President Nicolas Maduro for his third term, in Caracas, Venezuela January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

Machado co-founded Súmate, an organisation promoting democratic development, over 20 years ago, choosing “ballots over bullets” as her guiding principle. Ahead of the 2024 elections, she was blocked from running by the regime but supported another opposition candidate, mobilising hundreds of thousands of volunteers to ensure fair election monitoring under extreme risk of harassment, arrest, and torture.

Despite the regime’s refusal to accept the election results, Machado has remained in Venezuela, living in hiding while inspiring millions with her steadfast commitment to peaceful democratic action.

The Nobel Committee noted that Machado exemplifies the link between democracy and lasting peace, showing that resisting authoritarianism through nonviolent civic engagement can transform societies. “She embodies the hope of a different future, one where citizens’ fundamental rights are protected, and their voices are heard,” the committee said.

In honouring Machado, the Norwegian Nobel Committee continues its tradition of recognising courageous individuals who stand up to repression, defend freedom, and demonstrate that peaceful resistance can change the world.